Nearing or entering retirement? Learn the power of a customized strategy to make the most of your benefits and assets, identify considerable risks, and plan for a comfortable, financially-secure retirement.

Sarah Blondin discovered her love of assisting others through training in the financial services sector. Her main priorities are developing relationships with individuals and helping them understand how money works and how to make it work best for them.

Join us for ONE or all of Emma's Fermentation Presentations! Zoom in and create in your own kitchen or join her live in Portland!

Fermented, tossed with olive oil and salt, and baked, these potatoes have an almost vinegary-french-fry flavor! Since this is a very simple vegetable ferment, we'll have time to add a more complicated one: fermented apple and pear chutney with aromatics and spices. This tangy chutney makes a great gift or to have in the fridge to add zing to a familiar meal. Great on hearty bread with a sharp cheese toasted over the top. This hybrid class will include the microbiology and the ferment creation. Let us know if you'll attend live or via Zoom! Registration closes at noon on 10/9. Zoom link, materials list, and in-person address provided by instructor.

Emma Holder attended McGill University, earning a BSc in 1991 and a Masters in 1993 in microbiology and immunology. Her passion is to connect with people and provide enjoyable learning experiences to create healthy, happy lifestyles.

Do you enjoy the taste of a crisp pickle? Learn to make them so you can enjoy them in your own home! Get a brief review of the fundamentals of food preservation and some of the common ways you can preserve food at home. Discuss the pickling process and water bath canning, and then make pickled cucumbers in a boiling water Leave with your own jar of fresh-made pickles! Bring oven mitts or a pot holder to transport your hot jar home.

Tom Loder is a certified Master Food Preserver through University of Maine Cooperative Extension. A fourth generation family food preserver, Tom has won several ribbons for his jams, jellies and baked goods at the Cumberland Fair.

Join us to learn about what assisted living actually is (and isn't)! We'll discuss how it gets paid for and a roadmap for your loved ones to set expectations for the process. Note: All information shared covers what independent living, assisted living, memory care, and nursing home facilities look like in Maine and may not apply to sites in other states. Q & A follows the presentation.

Kaitlyn Morse, the founder of Maine Aging Partners, has spent time working in home healthcare and senior living. After working with over 500 families, she realized how difficult it is to find a clear and unbiased source of information in this field and wants to share her knowledge with you.

Are you a veteran or family member of a vet? Need help with health care, real estate, estate planning, or any of the many other aspects of life that veteran families face? Explore the benefits available to veterans and their families, including Aid & Attendance, Pension, and Disability, Dependency & Indemnity (DIC). Elly's interest in veterans' affairs lies very close to home; her father served in the US Navy for 20 years, and her brother is on active duty in the Navy. She is excited to be working with veterans and assisting with their estate planning and legal needs.

Eleanor Dominguez, Esq., has worked at Ainsworth, Thelin, & Raftice, PA since 2014, focusing on elder law, estate planning, and estate administration. In addition, she is accredited in preparing, presenting, and prosecuting claims for veterans' benefits before the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Regular sauna use can have positive effects on both physical and mental health! Discuss the history and health benefits of saunas. Learn regional cultural customs, sauna etiquette, the building process including information on expense, sourcing materials from local businesses, and how to design, build and maintain a sauna that meets your needs. Students will have a chance to check out a portable sauna tent!

Richard and Karen Gadbois of Driftless Sauna, LLC in Saco rent mobile and portable sauna tents and sell freestanding handcrafted wood-fired saunas in an effort to provide the community with a real sauna experience.

30 Minutes or Less!

Prepare quick, wholesome meals! Discover techniques that provide ideas for fast meals including sheet pan chicken, pea & spinach risotto, salad entrees, quick stir fry, and panna cotta. Come prepared to cook, taste, and enjoy! Bring an apron and a sharp cutting knife.

Moira Rascati, a graduate of Culinary Institute of America in NY, has been a professional chef for 40+ years and at Joseph's by the Sea in Old Orchard Beach for more than 30. She is currently an instructor at SMCC in their culinary arts and nutrition programs.

Clearing Mental Clutter

Having trouble setting priorities and making plans? Frequently misplace valuable items amid all of the clutter? Feel hurried and pressed for time? Step outside your comfort zone and develop a fresh perspective to help you transform disorder and chaos into thoughtful organization. Uncover the habits and behaviors contributing to disorder and replace them with time-tested methods to be more prosperous, efficient, content and joyful. With the use of calendars and other planning tools, discover practical ways to complete daily tasks on time, make action plans, and achieve your long-term goals. Please bring your cell phone (if you have one) and calendar.

Roz Applebaum has worked in the conference business for 30 years. She is a highly effective life coach and assists her clients in using organizational skills to achieve short- and long-term goals while maintaining the optimum work-life balance.