College Park Seniors Committee

Approved: 120617 College Park Seniors Committee City Hall – Lower Level Conference Room November 1, 2017 7:00-8:30 PM DRAFT MINUTES Seniors Committee Members: PRESENT ABSENT Carolyn Bernache X Helen Barnes X P.J. Brennan X Pedro Manuel Guevara-Cordova X Mary Anne Hakes X Jackie Kelly X Darlene Nowlin X Bonnie Beck O’Brien X Rosemary Perticari X Also present: Peggy Higgins, Youth, Family and Senior Services; Joi Woods, Contract Secretary The meeting was called to order at 7:03 p.m. by Mr. Brennan. Mr. Brennan inquired about Committee Members planning to attend the meeting for Dannielle M. Glaros, the County Council member for the Southern area of College Park. Mrs. Bernache will attend and provide details about the meeting for the committee. I. Old Business A. Approval of the October 2, 2017 Minutes Corrections were made to iItem “D” regarding the organization’s structure and goals to connect Senior Residents to services. The correction clarifies that services discussed are not services offered by the city. Ms. Perticari motioned to approve the minutes. Mrs. Hakes seconded the motion. All were in favor; none opposed. The motion passed. B. Review of Proposed Networking Structure 1. Organization: The goal is to create a 501c3 collaborative that requires funding and equipment; a 501c3 incorporation would be constructed by the organization’s designated Lead.  2. Funding Needs: A Grant to fund the Lead position, furniture, and office supplies and equipment. 3. A potential name for the organization: Currently unnamed, “S.T.A.R”. is a potential idea 4. Structure: The collaborative will sustain a unifying structure to support existing organizations by identifying unmet needs of seniors in the College Park and filling service gaps. The collaborative will accomplish these goals by providing a clearinghouse of available services, initiating and following up on the delivery of services that support and promote social-emotional wellbeing seniors (check in calls, visits, and social events). The committee discussed services provided by DSS and the concept of an overarching structure to ensure the collaborative intentionally avoids duplication and overlap of existing services. 5. A Lead & Cooperative Membership: Members will provide direct services and referrals for services.  Office Hours: (2 hour shifts) Monday-Friday  Some Services include: o Check in Calls (directly from members of the cooperative) o Receive calls from Senior Residents for:  Direct services-transportation, house work/yard work  Referral services-city services, private services o Calls received from Senior Residents will help establish needs and trends 6. Working Timeline:  Define structure  Define the organization’s ongoing monetary need  City Council Ask  Set up organization  Collect Resources (as need)  Identify Deficits through calls received from Senior Residents C. Results of Visit to Greenbelt GIVES Program - Manuel Guevara-Cordova and Rosemary Perticari Mr. Guevara was unable to attend. Ms. Perticari obtained forms and provided an operational overview of the Greenbelt GIVES office. Resource guides from neighboring communities gathered by committee members were also collected. The committee engaged in brief discussion about operational details including:   Short term and long-term services provided by Greenbelt GIVES  Operational costs-approximately $1000/month, some potential costs include: furniture, office supplies, utility costs, phone and internet services  Components that would streamline and maximize the Collaborative’s efforts to connect Senior Residents with available services including: o categorized database of services o Creating opportunities for sustainable service delivery through partnership with the University of Maryland  The impact of fluctuations among stable and transient areas within College Park residual factors that have impacted the quality of life An inquiry has been made regarding potential in-kind donation of space to house the collaborative including a 2-hour time slot at Davis Hall II. New Business D. Development of Seniors Committee’s Tasks and Timeline Briefly discussed under item B, number 6; full discussion deferred E. Talking Points for Presentation to City Council The committee discussed potential points, styles, and methods to provide a brief 10 to 15-minute PowerPoint presentation for the City Council. The following elements were discussed to be included in the presentation: 1. Statement of Mission & Purpose- Create a pathway for College Park Seniors to obtain needed services to enable them to age in place. 2. Organization: 501c3 3. Structure: Fill service gaps when possible 4. College Park Seniors demographic data 5. Highlight prevalent trends and needs across College Park It was also noted that transportation and in-home care, and family support services have been identified as the highest needs among seniors. Home care services are provided by Home Health Aides and other certified professionals. The collaborative’s goal is to connect Senior Residents to volunteer and professional services. The collaborative will initiate direct services that offer personal connection and emotional support such as check in calls, visits and social events. III. Adjournment Mrs. Hakes motioned to adjourn the meeting, Mrs. O’Brien seconded the motion. All were in favor; none opposed. The motion passed. The meeting was adjourned at 8:02 p.m.