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New directors named for Greater Lewes Community Village

January 27, 2017

President Marty D'Erasmo of the Greater Lewes Community Village recently announced the appointment of three new members to its board of directors: David Downing of Milton, and Janice Erich and Steve Hanzel, both of Lewes. They succeed three founding members, Vice President Carol Wzorek, Jennie Keith and Linda Leonard, who in December were presented with plaques acknowledging their contributions since 2010 when planning for the community village first began.

The community village relies on community volunteers committed to help older adults live in their homes. It began operation in November 2013 and recently moved into a larger facility with member meeting rooms at 16686 Kings Highway in Lewes.

Downing retired at 73 after being an active-duty naval officer and with more than 30 years of civilian service with the Department of Defense, Homeland Security and other government agencies. He and his wife Marlene moved in 2007 from their vineyard in Virginia to Milton. Since then, he has been active in local affairs, including leading the Milton Speaks initiative and the Milton Theatre film program, and serving on the town's economic development committee. He said he is enthusiastic about the quality of services the community village offers and looks forward to expanding it within the Milton area.

Erich, and her spouse Lewes Councilman Rob Morgan, moved to Lewes in 2010 from the Washington, D.C. area. They are associate members of the community village, among those giving financial support, although they currently have no need for its services. "It's really an admirable effort to forge better ties within the community, to give people an avenue to help each other," she said. A retired corporate lawyer, Erich said she will work on projects requiring legal research and helping to grow both membership and its corps of volunteers.

Hanzel and his wife Anne moved to their Lewes house full time two years ago after building it two decades earlier. "While on a Rehoboth loop bike ride last year, I learned from a riding buddy about his volunteer efforts helping seniors to age in place, to live independently in their homes for as long as possible. It seemed like a worthy cause," he said. Shortly after, he became a volunteer. "Driving members to their doctors' appointments, running errands, doing occasional maintenance repairs or some light landscaping became as gratifying to me as it was to our members," he said. "I found joy in taking a village member to the farmers market to buy the freshest produce available. Helping seniors to age in place with independence and dignity gave me a profound sense of community that had been missing."

For more information, go to www.GreaterLewesCommunityVillage.org, email lewesvillage@gmail.com, or call Executive Director Jackie Sullivan, 302-793-2568.

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