The next monthly meeting of the Lincoln County Triad will be held on Thursday, April 21 at the Damariscotta Municipal Building. Meetings start at 1 p.m. The guest speaker will be Christine Szalay, SEARCH program coordinator for Catholic Charities. Triad meetings are open to the public, especially those who would like information on the program being featured that day.

The Catholic Charities SEARCH Program has recently expanded its service into Lincoln County. The program matches trained volunteers one-on-one with isolated seniors, providing companionship and support to help them stay independent in their own homes. Volunteers undergo thorough background checks and assist seniors two to four house per week with grocery shopping, errands, paperwork, or light home projects. There are no income requirements for the program and it is free to participants.

The Lincoln County Triad is a collaboration between senior service organizations, local law enforcement including the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office and volunteers dedicated to helping senior citizens stay safe in their homes and communities. The national Triad organization was formed in 1988 by three groups: AARP, the International Association of Chiefs of Police, and the National Sheriff’s Association. The local Triad was formed in the late 1990s and has been doing educational projects ever since.

Projects include Senior Appreciation Day held in the fall each year with over 30 vendors providing information on services, File of Life for medical emergencies where thousands of packets have been distributed over the years, a free distribution of emergency cell phones for calling 911, and support of a twice yearly medication collection.

The next Medication Collection will be held April 30 at five locations in Lincoln County. This is an excellent opportunity to rid your home of outdated, unneeded or dangerous drugs. They will be secured by law enforcement and disposed of properly.

Residents who would like to help the Lincoln County Triad in their efforts are encouraged to attend the monthly meetings and get involved. You will learn something at every meeting.