John & Elaine Couri and the Creation of Hammond Street Senior Center

More than 10 years ago, John Couri, a businessman from Connecticut, and his wife Elaine, made a decision that changed the lives of thousands of Bangor Area senior citizens – and continues to enhance the quality and vitality of thousands more every day.

The Couris have long ties to the State of Maine. Among their many contributions, the philanthropically minded couple founded a summer camp in Jackman to provide inner-city children with the opportunity to experience nature in Maine. Frequent visitors to the Bangor area, they became aware of the severe lack of diverse offerings and designated space for active seniors. Elaine felt moved to address this need.

The idea of creating a social center for seniors in the Greater Bangor Region was born. The Couris then set out to find a location to house the would-be facility. They fell in love with one of Bangor’s historic buildings, the former Merrill Trust Company Bank, which overlooks the Kenduskeag River. Right in the heart of Downtown Bangor, the building is adjacent to two parking lots, the city-owned parking garage, and area’s the public transportation hub.