Milford couple starts fund to address prevalent community needs

When Milford residents Peter and Kathy Maio retired in 2019, they decided to make their Gold Key home their permanent, year-round residence. They like the area, they enjoy the outdoor recreation it offers and felt at home here.

But they wanted to do more than just live, ski and hike here. They wanted to assist the community in a focused and purposeful way. So they started a fund with Greater Pike Community Foundation and plan to donate to and support local services that assist many in need.

“We’ve lived in many places and recognize that housing and food insecurity and environmental issues are prevalent all over,” said Peter Maio. “We’ve seen it as a growing concern here and it disturbed us.”

They learned about Greater Pike and decided to work with staff to create a fund that would keep their funds local while addressing needs in the community.

“Working with the Foundation made it easier, administratively, to focus on important issues,” Maio said. “The Foundation creates a power of numbers and a sense of community.”

In addition to planning future trips to national parks and spending time outdoors, the Maio’s keep busy with volunteer work: Peter serves on a bank Board of Directors and Kathy as a certified Medicare counselor, assisting seniors to receive the services they need.

“We want to help,” they said.

Greater Pike helps individuals, families, and local businesses to provide a permanent and personal way to give back to the community.