College Park Seniors Committee

College Park Seniors Committee Old Parish House November 6, 2019 7:00 PM Final Minutes Seniors Committee Members: PRESENT ABSENT 1. Ann Bolduc X 2. Pedro Manuel Guevara-Cordova X (7:16p.m) 3. Victoria Evans X 4. Mary Anne Hakes X 5. Jackie Kelly X 6. Bonnie McClellan X 7. Darlene Nowlin X (7:16p.m) 8. Arelis Perez X 9. Rosemary Perticari X 10. Lynn Topp X 11. Robert Thurston X (7:15 p.m.) Also present: Hank Greenburg, AARP; Karen Morgan, AARP; James McFadden, Resident (7:16 p.m); Kaisha Barber, Youth and Family Services; Nicole D’Costa, UMD Student; Julia Rosier, UMD Student; Joi Woods, Contract Secretary I. Guest speaker, Hank Greenburg from AARP (7:06 p.m.) A. Mr. Greenburg presented the committee with information about AARP’s Age Friendly Communities. Noted points included: • Demographic and details about Age Friendly Communities • Application guidelines & Membership processes o Mr. Greenburg encouraged to consult with him or other committee members to move forward toward becoming certified as an Age- Friendly community. • Mr. Greenburg advised that a high level of investment from the city and other stakeholder will ensure success • The 8 Domains of Livability: Resources o Domain 1: Outdoor Spaces and Buildings. o Domain 2: Transportation. o Domain 3: Housing. o Domain 4: Social Participation.  o Domain 5: Respect and Social Inclusion. o Domain 6: Civic Participation and Employment. o Domain 7: Communication and Information. o Domain 8: Community and Health Services. • Recommendations for hosting Listening sessions- capture preferred method of communication • Continuous goal setting & progress monitoring • Funding opportunities to support current initiatives • Community Buy in & Stakeholder investment • Mr. Greenburg also provided: o Pamphlets and brochures outlining AARP services o AARP volunteer opportunities • Mr. Greenburg Provided points of contact: o Donna Delano Neuworth, Baltimore County o Bill Armbruster, Age-Friendly Community Contact o Dr. Gigi Blakes, AARP, Volunteers o Karen Morgan, AARP Attorney II. Call to Order Official Business was postponed until after the AARP Age Friendly Community presentation that began at 7:08 p.m. Mrs. Hakes called the meeting to order at 8:05 p.m. III. Old Business A. Approval of the October 9, 2019 Minutes Mrs. McClellan noted items for correction including: omitted committee members, presentation details to highlight disparities among services, discussion and decision about inviting representatives from College Park Planning and Development and HUD. Ms. Perez motioned to approve the September 4, 2019 minutes with noted corrections Mrs. McClellan seconded the motion. All were in favor, none opposed. The motion passed. B. Review of Documents • The committee reviewed and discussed: o Forwarded attendance documents o Attendance record errors: -October 2019, Ms. Topp was present -September 2019, Mr. Thurston and Ms. Topp were both present -Ms. Perez recommended conducting a roll call at the start of the meeting -Ms. Woods recommended the use of a sign in sheet as a check & balance to ensure accurate attendance recording  o Committee Chairs requested notification of attendance for scheduled meetings C. Mayor and Council Report highlights Extracted from the report include: • Purpose - support the development of a community-based neighborhood network to: o Assist older adults with transportation needs o Light household maintenance, upkeep, landscaping, & snow removal o Encourage representation from college park community groups o Identify legislative priorities related to the community • Accomplishments & Actions: o Co-chairs met individually with members regarding their interests and experiences o Hosted a networking party to build camaraderie, o Added four new members, increasing membership to 11 o Welcomed and oriented Kiaisha Barber o Recruited members for the Greenplay community and senior recreation needs assessment focus group o Completed survey • 2019 Identified priorities & 2020 goals: o Utilize technologies- Alexa units o Senior needs, available services and resources o exploration of senior housing availability & affordability o Support and encourage educational and social events o Promote, support and expand Neighbors Helping Neighbors (NHN) o Explore and Encourage Partnerships o Senior retail and parking incentives & discounts • Issues: o Senior Housing: No dedicated housing for seniors other than the city’s 2 income limited facilities and these facilities have a 5 year waiting list -Recommendation: City to proactively make the case for additional Federal and State funding for senior living in College Park o Senior Incentives: -Recommendation City to work with local businesses to establish Periods of open or discounted parking for seniors o Social Event: “Senior Prom”- Event requires a greater level of funding than is available to the Committee. event planning is on hold and contingent on the will of the Council  o GreenPlay Survey: strong support on the Committee for a dedicated City Senior Center. Events and Committee Reports A. Events • St. Andrew’s Parish Hall CP Scholars CP Scholars assisted seniors with using technology in a City sponsored event o Mrs. Hakes noted that she spoke with CP Scholars about volunteer opportunities with NHN-CP • Exploration on Aging Tea event Mrs. Hakes reported details Exploration on Aging Tea event noting: o The event was well attended by residents from different parts of the county o Presentation about the benefits of tea • Neighbors Helping Neighbors College Park (NHN-CP) Mrs. Hakes shared details from a report on Neighbors Helping Neighbors College Park (NHN-CP), The report was prepared on November 6, 2019 noted efforts and progress based upon information captured during October 2019. • The number of requests for transportation has decreased in the last quarter as a result City Senior Services returning to an operational status • The number of requests for task related to external property maintenance and upkeep inside the home o Tasks have not been completed due to physical restraints -Plans to partner with fraternities, CP Scholars program, and other student organization to recruit volunteers who are physically capable Additional points denoting progress in 2019 extracted from the distributed report include: • Ongoing volunteer recruitment o 19 volunteers o 5 of 19 volunteers are actively taking assignments o More than 10 of 19 volunteers are trained, are not actively taking assignments o Others in que (no number provided) pending background checks Mrs. Hakes also summarized the pursuit of the following goals after December 3, 2019: • Augmenting time spent to ensure responsiveness to inquiry phone calls • Hosting outreach Volunteer recruitment events to solicit from local neighborhoods and student the community • Revamping volunteer training practices to increase efficiency • Increasing accuracy & timeliness of website information • Increasing visibility Mrs. Hakes suggested identifying ways to redress the lack awareness and visibility throughout the community by partnering with the city’s Communication Department to help promote NHN- CP. B. Subcommittee Updates: • Ms. Perticari shared research highlights on neighboring Senior Centers in PG County and her visits to the Berwyn Heights Senior Center o The Berwyn Heights Senior Center model, the center is ran by its members o The Berwyn Heights Senior Center is funded by dues, with the exception of designated space o Members cover costs associated with materials, activities, trips and special events through dues • The committee discussed o Neighboring Senior Centers located in Beltsville, Mt. Airy o Attending activities and events hosted by the College Park Methodist Church to learn more about current offerings, gain a sense of potential new offerings, and to invite the Mayor and City Council to events and activities. Recommended days to attend are Thursdays and Fridays. IV. Additional Discussion A. Green Play Survey revisions Mrs. Barber provided an update about the pending completion and distribution of the final draft of the city’s survey. B. Workgroups and Committee Meeting Schedule The committee discussed: • Ms. Perticari hosting workgroups to share the information collected during subcommittee research • Revising the current meeting schedule o Adding meetings in May and June of 2020 in addition to holding work groups o Suspending meetings in July & August and December & January o Future meetings will be held November, Feb, March April, May, & June Mrs. McClellan motioned to meet in May and June with additional voluntary work groups to reduce gaps in progress. Ms. Perticari seconded the motion. Ten were in favor, one opposed. The motion passed carried. Ms. Perticari will choose a date host a workgroup in January. VI. New Business A. Next Steps and next meeting • Holiday Break Expectations  VII. Announcements • Corridor Route 1 Meeting- 11.12.19 Mrs. McClellan provided an update about upcoming meetings and opportunities to examine current community programs offered to examine benefits for seniors. Representatives from Hyattsville Gaining in Place, Neighbors Helping Neighbors, University Park, and Explorations on Aging. • Invitation to participate in a research project sponsored by the UMD School of Journalism working with NSF. The study targets media literacy and misinformation among seniors. • Senior Luncheon sponsored by Danielle Glaros, District 3 representative, (date to be confirmed) Mr. Thurston suggested organizing a bus trip for seniors to attend. Mrs. Barber noted that she has inquired about securing a bus to transport seniors who are interested in attending. Mrs. Barber will forward information about transportation to Mrs. McClellan. VIII. Next Meeting: Wednesday, February 5, 2020 The committee discussed inviting the Communications Department and Terry Schum, Planning Director, Planning and Development decision. IX. Adjournment Ms. Perez motioned to adjourn the meeting. Mr. Thurston seconded the motion. All were in favor, none opposed. The motion passed. The meeting was adjourned at 9:09 p.m.