For over thirty years, Encore for More! has fulfilled its mission to assist senior citizens in Fountain Hills. In 1990, Marti Lemieux, a member of the interim Town Council, responded to a community need to supply meals to seniors in temporary distress. Her persistence birthed the Home Delivered Meals program. Encore for More! does background checks and raises donations to help the program, while the Town of Fountain Hills administers the program.
Then, John O’Flynn pursued his dream of bringing a Senior Center to the Town. After a modest beginning in the Kiwanis Building, like-minded citizens organized Senior Services, Inc. They joined the meal delivery efforts to advance the mission further to serve seniors.
Over the years, the programs expanded to meet the increasing needs of our community. Senior Service, Inc. rebranded as Encore for More! a few years ago, demonstrating the organization’s ongoing commitment to our older population. They joined the Fountain Hills Cultural & Civic Association and the Fountain Hills Community Foundation at the beginning of 2021, allowing them to grow and expand their mission in new ways.
Today, Encore for More! is led by Gail Pape. Gail started as a volunteer for the Time-4-U technology program that encourages seniors who have questions about their smart devices to bring them in to learn how to use them. She stepped into the role of President in 2020.
“Our programs are opportunities for people to meet and socialize; they don’t need partners,” says Gail. “We offer a broad variety of interesting speaker programs in addition to providing bus transportation to daytime places of interest. We take them to places like museums, theatres, and restaurants outside of Fountain Hills.”
Encore’s most popular program is Bingo which is held at the Community Activity Center every Tuesday. Other activities include:
- A speaker series
- Day trips to various places of interest
- Give-a-Lift program
- Adopt-a-Senior program
- A free loaning program of durable medical equipment
- The continuing Home Delivered Meals
- Technology Time-4-U
Funding for Encore comes partly through the Fountain Hills Community Foundation. In addition, fundraising events help to increase funds for special projects.
Volunteers are always needed to help implement the variety of programs offered to the community. Encore encourages volunteers and senior citizens to suggest new ways to improve the lives of the seniors of Fountain Hills.
For more information, to volunteer, or to donate to Encore for More!, visit EncoreForMore.org.
