College Park Seniors Committee

College Park Senior Advisory Committee (SAC) Virtual Meeting April 2 , 2025 7:00 p.m. Final Minutes Seniors Committee Members: PRESENT ABSENT 1. Kathy Baer X 2. Woei-Nan Bair X 3. Betty Colonomos X 4. Adele Ellis X 5. Carol Gray X 6. Mary Anne Hakes X 7. Gail Lovelace X 8. Bonnie McClellan X 9. Darlene Nowlin X 10. Robert Thurston X 11. Heidi Weber X Also present : Jacob Hernandez; Janeen Miller, Age-Friendly College Park Program Lead; Ruth Murphy, Resident; Kiaisha Barber, Director of Youth, Family, and Senior Services; Joi Woods, Contract Secretary I. Call to Order Mary Anne Hakes called the meeting to order at 7:0 8 p.m. II. Approval of the Agenda Gail Lovelace motioned to approve the April 2, 2025 agenda as written. Carol Gray seconded the motion. All were in favor, none opposed. The motion passed. III. Approval of March 5, 2025 Minutes Robert Thurston motioned to approve the March 5, 2025 minutes as amended. Gail Lovelace seconded the motion. All were in favor, none opposed. The motion passed. IV. City Updates A. City Budget -The proposed budget will be reviewed on April 5, 2025. 1. Proposed funds include $10K for the Senior Advisor Committee. a. The proposed allocation includes continued funding for the Age Friendly College Park (AFCP) Lead Position. An additional allocation of $175K has been proposed for home retrofit grants through Habitat for Humanity or similar organizations in FY 2026. b. A $35K grant is included in the proposed budget for Neighbor Helping Neighbors College Park (NHN-CP). c. An additional half page is being requested for College Park Here and Now for articles, event notifications and announcements from the Senior Advisory Committee and the AFCP  workgroup. Funds will be allocated through the city’s Communication Department if approved. 2. Members are encouraged to attend the public budget hearing in May. Committee members were also encouraged to write letters of support to advocate for specific line items in the proposed budget. B. YSSF Updates 1. Senior Program Manager recruitment in progress with a goal to shadow the existing Senior Program Manager before the formal transition in June 2025. The committee will request involvement in the recruiting process. Angie Burns's last day is in late June. 2. Thursday Socials have been relocated to the College Park Woods Clubhouse C. Communications 1. Senior Newsletter-The email distribution process for the Senior newsletter is being revamped. Physical copies of the newsletter remain available. Currently, there are 200+ physical copies distributed by mail. 2. Mrs. Barber will follow up with the Communications Director regarding a meeting to share feedback from committee members related to the city’s website as it applies to Seniors. D. City Elections 1. The committee revisited exploring the participation of senior residents in city elections through collaboration with the Board of Election Supervisors (BOES) to track the senior vote and the impact on overall voter turnout. The opportunity to provide transportation to the polls should be continued. V. Age Friendly College Park (AFCP) A. Age Friendly collaboration with PG County 1. A meeting was held on March 24, 2025 with Greg Amodi, Director of the Office of Community Outreach for Prince George's County. a. The focus of the meeting was College Park Woods Clubhouse activities. A Forever Fit class has been scheduled for June 18, 2025. B. The University of Maryland (UMD) Age Friendly University Partnership 1. AFCP recently met with members of the UMD’s Age Friendly Taskforce for a status update to become an age friendly university. a. The task force is working to submit an application to join the Age Friendly University Global Network by June 2025. The task force will forward the application draft to members of the Age Friendly Workgroup. It was also recommended to share the application submission with the Mayor and City Council. C. Age Friendly events at College Park Woods 1. Events will be held on the first Wednesday (10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.) and third Wednesday of the month (1:00-3:00 p.m.) a. Game Days, third Wednesdays (1:00-3:00 p.m.)- beginning on April 16, 2025  Game days will also include light refreshments and musical activities b. Coffee and Conversations, first Wednesdays-beginning May 7, 2025 The events will feature a speaker and/or an activity.  May 7, 2025 will mark the grand opening event. Melissa Sites, from College Park Arts Exchange will conduct a special musical activity.   June- Heidi Weber, Scam Prevention  July- Wallace Merriman, Wellness & Nutrition  August-Allen Hue, Bees and Other Pollinators c. The committee discussed additional topics to feature during Coffee & Conversations some noted topics included  Advanced directives  Fall prevention & caregiver attitudes  Presentations from Luminis Health  Holding town hall meetings with Holy Cross Hospital, the first age friendly hospital in the nation. 2. The committee discussed coordinating opportunities with stakeholders for city seniors and other age groups in addition to residents from Spellman House and Attick Towers to participate in the clubhouse events. a. Mrs. Barber will follow up with the committee about the possibility of Senior Residents attending the Forever Fit Program on June 18, 2025. 3. The committee reviewed and discussed a flyer advertising events. Suggested edits included adding end times, contact information, and publishing the event in the College Park Here and Now. a. The committee also revisited the approval protocol for creating and distributing flyers. b. Mrs. Barber will send a draft to the committee for review before the flyers are finalized by the Communications Department. 4. The committee revisited incorporating College Park Dollars into the clubhouse activities. College Park Dollars will be sponsored through the SAC to incentivize participation in senior events and support local businesses. Mrs. Barber will follow up with the city manager about implementation and follow up with the committee. VI. Neighbor Helping Neighbors College Park (NHN-CP) A. Board status and recruitment 1. Currently there are 4 Board Members, with an opportunity to increase the board to 9 members. 2. The board is exploring marketing opportunities to recruit volunteers VII. Outreach Opportunities A. Ms. Miller has designed an Age-friendly resource brochure highlighting senior resources. The brochure will include resources related to transportation, aging in place, the Habitat for Humanity Home Repair Program, social engagement schedule, Senior program details, information about AARP Senior Planet, and Neighbors Helping Neighbors. 1. The brochure is intended to be distributed throughout city buildings and during outreach events. A draft will be forwarded to the Communications Department for review and distributed to the committee for comment before it is published. B. The committee discussed meet & greet opportunities to distribute information about the Senior Advisory Committee, Neighbor Helping Neighbors, and Age Friendly College Park during city events. 1. Volunteer availability a. The Hollywood Farmers Market opens on April 12, 2025 through November. The committee discussed beginning tabling 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. beginning the third week of May 2025.   May 10, 2025 (Kathy, Adele)  June 14, 2025 (Mary Anne, Bonnie, Carol)  September 20, 2025 (Bonnie, Gail, Darlene)  October 25, 2025 (Heidi) b. College Park Street Fair, May 18, 2025  Mrs. Barber will inquire about an exhibit for SAC c. Trolley Trail Day June 14, 2025 (Mary Anne, Bonnie, Carol)  Discussion was held to identify a different location for this year's event as well as registration requirements. d. College Park Day, October 18, 2025  All hands on deck 2. Logistics a. Bubble display to attract foot traffic. Giveaways to include tote bags, visors, and frisbees. b. The committee discussed the Rapid Geriatric Assessment, a self-screening tool to distribute during the events. Woei-Nan Bair will distribute the tool to the committee for review. Additional discussion will be held in May. VIII. Announcements & Other Discussion A. Legislation 1. The committee continues to monitor the Maryland Department on Aging Legislative Priorities. a. Department Call Check and Social Connection blending services with telecommunication access to be inclusive of residents who are visually and hearing impaired. b. The Department on Aging is restructuring an interagency committee to address senior housing needs and priorities.  The committee discussed inviting State Delegate Jocelyn Pena-Melnyk to one of the SAC meetings to update the members on recent legislative activity as it relates to seniors. B. Pedestrian Safety Collaboration 1. The AFCP workgroup contacted The Pedestrian and Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC) about collaborating with the SAC to complete a walk audit possibly, in May 2025. The group discussed potential locations including the intersection at Rhode Island Avenue and Rte.193 in North College Park, near Attick Towers, Sunnyside, and Cherry Hill. a. Ms. Miller forwarded the AARP Walk Audit Checklist to the city’s planning department. b. Committee members will explore roles and responsibilities after conferring with the BPAC. c. Mr. Thurston will meet with the BPAC staff liaisons to discuss logistics to conduct the walk audit. Bonnie McClellan motioned to express formal interest in partnering with the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee to conduct a walk audit Gail Lovelace seconded the motion. All were in favor, none opposed. The motion passed. IX. Past & Upcoming Events  A. Women’s History Month, One Woman Show was sponsored by the City and showcased Eleanor Roosevelt and her work on women's rights. More than 30 participants were in attendance. B. Hyattsville Library Tour, March 28, 2025 1. The event was arranged by the Senior Advisory Committee in conjunction with Senior Services and was well attended; high engagement was noted. There were 30+ participants. YFSS provided transportation for residents to attend. Collaboration on events with the Senior Services will be revisited when a new Senior Program Director is in place. a. The committee discussed incorporating content from the tour into Did You Know submissions for the Municipal Scene. C. Senior Art Show 1. The Art Show was sponsored by College Park Arts Exchange and Explorations on Aging. The city also absorbed some of the costs. The event was well attended 250 people attended featuring 21 artists. D. College Park Woods Clubhouse opening 1. The city held a Movie night with a concession stand, featuring the film, Thelma. The event was not well attended. Suggestions were offered to advertise clubhouse events and increase attendance. X. Next Meeting and Adjournment A. The next virtual meeting is scheduled for May 7, 2025. The committee will discuss summer meeting preferences. No guest speakers will be scheduled. B. Adjournment Bonnie McClellan motioned to adjourn the meeting. Adele Ellis seconded the motion. All were in favor, none opposed. The motion passed. The meeting was adjourned at 9:03 p.m.