Senior Center Committee

BO AR D M EM BE R S Noreen Shea, Chair * Asuncion Austriaco Chizoma Nosike Christian Roberts Facely Henriquez * Lovo Koliego * COMMISSION ON ELDER AFFAIRS Matthew Torrey Olanike Ojelabi MEETING AGENDA Pavel Terpelets Monday, September 29, 2025, 4:00 p.m. at Roxana Gomez Vargas Sarah Faucher Worcester Senior Center, 128 Providence Street Stephen Corridori * Tamara Cullen * For more information concerning this meeting, please contact the Elder Ted Biba Affairs Division/Worcester Senor Center by email at Thuha Le elderaffairs@worcesterma.gov or phone at 508-799-1232. Please send *Senior Center Committee Members written comments 2 business days or more in advance of the meeting. If you need reasonable accommodations to participate in the meeting, please C ON T A CT reach out to the staff contact listed. While boards and commissions do their • Address: WSC, 128 Providence St. best to accommodate you, certain accommodation may not be available if requested within short notice of the scheduled meeting. Requests for • Hours: 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. American Sign Language interpretation must be made 10 business days or • Phone: 508-799-1232 more in advance of the meeting. • Email: elderaffairs@worcesterma.gov Para más información sobre esta reunión, comuníquese con el Elder Affairs Division/Worcester Senior Center por correo electrónico al correo • Website: elderaffairs@worcesterma.gov o por teléfono 508-799-1232]. Envíe sus www.worcesterma.gov/senior-center comentarios por escrito 2 días hábiles o más antes de la reunión. Si The Commission on Elder Affair is committed to necesita adaptaciones razonables para participar en la reunión, comuníquese ensuring that its public meetings are accessible to con el contacto del personal indicado en la lista. Aunque las juntas y all. If you need reasonable accommodations to participate in the meeting, please reach out to the comisiones hacen todo lo posible para atenderle, algunas adaptaciones staff contact listed. While boards and podrían no estar disponibles si se solicitan con poca anticipación a la reunión commissions do their best to accommodate you, certain accommodations may not be available if programada. Las solicitudes de interpretación de lenguaje de señas requested within short notice of the scheduled estadounidense deben hacerse 10 días hábiles o más antes de la reunión. meeting. Requests for American Sign Language interpretation must be made 10 business days or more in advance of the meeting. Call to Order – 4 p.m. Hay disponibles servicios de interpretación y otras adaptaciones con solicitud previa. Agenda Item #1 Attendance/Approval of June 23 Commission minutes, May 19 Commission minutes & September 9 Senior ‫تتوفر الترجمة الفورية وغيرها من وسائل التيسير عند الطلب المسبق‬ Center Committee Report/ Confirm next meeting for October 27, अनवु ा द र अ6य आवसह अ'-म अनरोधपचत ाु उपल5ध हु6छ। 2025 at 4 pm onsite. Interpretação e outras adaptações estão disponíveis mediante solicitação prévia. Agenda Item #2 GUEST SPEAKER: Dr. Mattie Castiel, Përkthimi dhe akomodime të tjera janë në M.D., Commissioner of Health & Human Services dispozicion me kërkesë paraprake. Kasa nkyerɛaseɛ ɛne akwanya afoforɔ da hɔ Agenda Item #3 DIRECTOR’S REPORT-GOALS/OUTCOMES ma wɔn a wɔn bɛ bisa ato hɔ. Phiên dịch và các hỗ trợ khác có sẵn theo yêu cầu trước. Agenda Item #4 OPERATIONS & SPECIAL PROJECTS DI V IS IO N S TA FF Agenda Item #5 SENIOR SERVICES, EDUCATION & Amy Vogel Waters, Director OUTREACH Patricia Hainsworth, Operations Linda Wincek-Moore, Senior Services Agenda Item #4 Comments/Questions (up to 2 min. each) Adjourn 1 *Insert dates* COMMISSION ON ELDER AFFAIRS Meeting Minutes JUNE 23, 2025 WORCESTER SENIOR CENTER, 128 PROVIDENCE STREET Attendance: Noreen Shea-Chair; Shonee Austriaco; Matthew Torrey; Pavel Terpelets; Sarah Faucher; Thuha Le; Patty Hainsworth; Amy Waters; Leah Wickman-speaker; Luna-Anna Maria College student. 1. Call to Order: 4:07 P.M. The minutes were held as there was no quorum to vote. Leah Wickman, Director of the Fitness Center at the Senior Center, made an educational presentation. She noted the following: Worcester Fitness has managed the center for over 3 years and will do so for at least another 5 years per the contract; professionals staff the center 5 days/week 9a.m.-4 p.m.; there are 11 cardio machines and 2 kaiser total body trainers as well as weights; the weight resistance is user friendly, with pneumatic adjustments as small as 1 pound; With 1150 members, 55-60 is the average # of visitors/day and has gone as high as 90; They also provide 10 group exercise classes/week with an average of 25 participants/class and a focus on strength, core, flexibility, balance and cardio; She described the on-boarding process which includes developing an individualized plan; She shared many personal stories illustrating the positive impact for participants on their social and physical health; and there is a strong sense of community and caring. Pavel asked about participation and what would happen if there is not enough room for everyone interested. Leah noted that sometimes there is a line for certain equipment and time limits must be set. Pavel also asked about the swimming pool he heard is being built across the street by Worcester Academy. It was noted that we are already good partners with them, so it is something to look at for the future, and that Girls Inc. also allows seniors to swim there. Amy highlighted her report as follows: Almost all goals have been surpassed for FY’25; City Council approved a small increase for FY’26 to cover personnel costs; awarded $125,000 from the Attorney General for Consumer Rights; Awarded approximately $9,000 from MCOA for behavioral health; 25th anniversary event was very celebratory and educational for the 200+ participants; various trainings for staff; rental agreements being worked on; participation continues to increase and there was good publicity generated from the anniversary event; UMASS Memorial medical student clerkship starts at the senior center this week; continuing to meet to help address the rise in senior homelessness and shared information received from Pavel regarding how rest homes could help. Patty reported on the following: parking lot relined; rain gardens have new overseers; bike racks installed; some new signage installed with more to come; speed bumps to be installed soon; 2 volunteers helping maintain the community gardens; property tax work-off volunteers assisting with the newsletter, dementia friendly and Spanish class; Bruce Wells Upward Bound students volunteering for a week in July; new high school student assisting with respite program this summer; Summer programming includes the concert series, drumming, and classic car show. Noreen reminded the Commission that there are no regular meetings in July and August, and the September meeting will be on the 5th Monday (instead of the 4th), on September 29th at the senior center. Adjournment: 5:05 P.M. 2  Commission on Elder Affairs Minutes-May 19, 2025 Worcester Senior Center, 128 Providence Street Present: Noreen Shea-Chair; Asuncion Austriaco; Chizoma Nosike; Facely Henriquez; Matthew Torrey; Olanike Ojelabi; Pavel Terpelets; Roxana Gomez Vargas; Sarah Faucher; Linda Wincek- Moore; Patty Hainsworth; Amy Waters; Tuyet Tran. Noreen called the meeting to order at 4:05 pm. She introduced our speaker Tuyet Tran, Director of the Southeast Asian Coalition of Central MA (SEACMA). Tuyet explained that SEACMA was founded in the year 2000 to assist Southeast Asian new-comers and their most recent population served is from Afghanistan. She talked about launching a school of cultural dance, expanding the healthy aging program and ESL as well as hosting major cultural festivals. A major focus is assisting with food insecurity for which our grant is directed. A mushroom- growing enterprise, community gardens, and restaurant meal deliveries are helping to address this, as farmers are no longer funded to give out free produce through SEACMA. They serve approximately 400 people aged 65 and older, and coordinate efforts with the senior center. Noreen called for the approval of the April 28, 2025 Commission meeting minutes and the Senior Center Committee report of May 13, 2025. Both were approved (m/s/a). Amy reported on the following: FY’25 strategic plan goal accomplishments; upcoming city budget hearing; recommended state funding increase; federal programs losing funding, e.g. RSVP; applying for MCOA Field Demonstration grant; National Grid fair assisted 60 people; RSVP’s loss of funding may impact their space at the senior center; Developer visited to work on historical credits; thanks to Pavel re: working with us on rest homes as a possible way to help people needing housing; encouraged prompt responses to 25th anniversary event as space is limited. Patty discussed the following: Landscaper and community gardens started; some leaks have been resolved; volunteer recognition was fun; 50+ immunizations provided by Walgreens; seniors sent 400 cards of encouragement to St. John’s unhoused population; hydroponic gardening kits being distributed to graduates of the program; Osteoporosis educational program was well received; Oral Health is another big program coming; Summer concerts to kick off soon. Linda discussed the following: geriatric fall prevention clerkship for 3rd year medical students; staff attended MCOA symposium and behavioral health & housing conference; attending city HUB meetings to strategize to assist people with behavioral health and housing issues; adapting data collection to match state requirements. The meeting adjourned at 5:08 p.m. (m/s/a) 3  Commission on Elder Affairs-Senior Center Committee Meeting Minutes September 9, 2025 Virtual on Teams Attendance: Noreen Shea-Chair; Tamara Cullen; Steve Corridori; Lovo Koleigo; Patty Hainsworth; Amy Waters. Call to Order: Noreen called the meeting to order on Teams at 12:05 p.m. The committee approved the minutes of the June 10, 2025 meeting (m/s/a). 1. Finances Amy reported on the following which the committee reviewed and discussed: While funding is currently stable, will spend conservatively the first half of the year; New one-time grant awarded by MCOA for $8,976 for behavioral health group for men; After reviewing a proposal, an additional $5,000 was approved to allocate to Central MA Housing Alliance to increase snow removal assistance to be provided by their Elder Home Maintenance program (m/s/a); Rental agreement changes were reviewed including the reduction of space and rental fee for Seven Hills Foundation due to the de-funding of RSVP, as well as Prime Movement’s choice to remain an instructor but no longer rent an office; The City administration approved using newly vacant space to add more office space for the Youth Office & a 3rd floor conference room; An additional informal space usage proposal from the Youth Office was introduced for consideration contingent on their presenting the committee with further information; Other space usage changes to involve offices for consumer rights and senior services. 2. Operations Patty reported on the following which the committee reviewed and discussed: Rain gardens under new management; community gardens winding down; landscaper spruced up the grounds; HVAC issues; kitchen equipment issues; 6 new shades installed in wellness center; assisted RSVP to downsize; working with DPF and DoIT to organize office moves; lots of concerts, speakers this summer as well as heavy fitness participation; September theme for programs: Getting your Ducks in a Row; Multicultural celebration in October as well as a Dementia Friendly Worcester event on 10/22; 21 attended our dementia friends training and will be participating in upcoming Caregiver’s Summit. Adjournment: The next meeting was confirmed for October 14th at noon on Teams. Noreen adjourned the meeting at 1 p.m. (m/s/a) 4