Senior Companions

April 2026. AmeriCorps Seniors (ACS) is a federal program engaging adults aged 55 and older in volunteering across the U.S., with over 200,000 members serving communities while staying active. ACS programs in Maine are administered through the UMaine Center on Aging and The Opportunity Alliance. Senior Companions work with homebound, socially isolated adults 60 and older or adults with disabilities to help them maximize, maintain, or regain their independence.  I am thrilled to lend my photography and interviewing skills to celebrate these amazing volunteers and encourage others to join. Portraits are ongoing and are added below when ready. 

Bud - NOURISHER

“I am an ex-logger who fell into volunteering, and I’ve been doing it for sixteen years now as a Senior Companion. I love the older people I work with; that is my calling card.

I grew up in a small town and joined the Navy when I was eighteen. In 1972, I married my high school sweetheart, and we had two beautiful girls. Life changed in 1988 when my wife got sick; she passed away from ocular melanoma in 1992.

Around that same time, I blew out a disc in my neck and had surgery. I was a logger, but suddenly I was financially strapped and caring for a twelve-year-old and a daughter who was headed to college. I went in to sign up for fuel assistance. While I was there, they mentioned they could use volunteers.

I started by helping kids from out of state fix up trailers and painting homes for the elderly. It was a fortunate thing in a lot of ways—when you're down and out, helping someone else can pull you through.

Eventually, they trained me to sign people up for fuel assistance in towns like Strong, Phillips, Carthage, and Weld. That work really opened my eyes. I saw how proud the older people were and how bad they felt about needing help. It made me realize I didn't have it so bad.

I went back to logging for a while after my neck healed. A new health challenge in 2005 finally kicked me out of logging for good. I eventually saw an advertisement for Senior Companions to visit the elderly at home, and I knew it was right up my alley.

I cook for my clients – homemade spaghetti and meatballs, jams, jellies, and my blueberry cake. Every Spring and Fall, I take them on individual picnics. We’ll go up around Rangeley to look at the flowers or the wildlife. It’s a break for them, and honestly, I enjoy it just as much as they do!

Recently, I told a lady who wanted to pray for me that I don't need to be prayed for. When they put me in the ground, I’m going to have a smile on my face because I did the best I could to help the people I care about.”

April 2026