By Caroline Gordon

From helping locals secure housing to those who are in need of food, Debbie Sand, Outreach Coordinator for the Millis Council on Aging, dedicates her time to not only the elderly residents of Millis, but to the entire community and those from surrounding towns. 

Sand explained she most commonly assists people who are in need of housing and food, and those with car problems, heating and electricity issues, and computer trouble. 

“If anybody needs any help, I can help them,” she says, adding “It feels really good that I am able to help people and make a difference. I have had people come back and say ‘thank you’.” 

Sand says Millis has a “strong community” of residents who help her assist people, noting the Millis Housing Authority and The Millis Fund. 

Sand explained the most difficult part of her job is not being able to help those who are in immediate need of housing, since being accepted into the town housing is a six-month wait for homeless people. 

“It is very hard to say sorry, you need to find an alternative,” she said. 

Sand explained her goal as Outreach Coordinator is for everybody in Millis to be aware that she is available to help those of all ages. 

She says she enjoys working in Millis because it is a “very welcoming town” and the people are “fantastic.” 

Patty Kayo, Director of the Millis Council on Aging, says, “Outreach’s impact on the community is invaluable. Outreach services provide residents with peace of mind when dealing with situations. It’s comforting, when dealing with problems, to have a professional just listen and steer you in the right direction…Debbie has only been with us for a year now and she has quite a following.”