HomeMy WebLinkAbout01/26/1999 - Regular Minutes - Senior Advisory CommitteeSENIOR ADVISORY COMMITTEE
TUESDAY, JANUARY 26, 1999
10:00 AM
YAHOOZ
Present: Bill & Florace Kling, Bill & Mary Lancaster, Helen Perry,
Marvin & Marcine Durrant, James & Lillian Boone, Wendell
Horne, Bill & Mary Jo Lay, Phyllis Dozier
Staff: Marci Rodgers, Senior Services Coordinator; Emily Baker,
Secretary
Guests: Skip Noe, City Manager; Steven Beachy, Director of Parks &
Recreation; Dana Williamson, Instruction Supervisor; Phyliss
Davis, Senior Friends Director; Officer Rick Vessell,
Community Services
I. Introductions
Marci spoke about the Senior Resource Guide. It lists every
organization for seniors for the Brazos Valley. She would like
this committee to work in partnership with some of the
organizations in this guide and try to make the seniors aware
of what is offered.
Marci introduced Phyliss Davis, with the College Station
Medical Center. She has a program called Senior Friends that
is a chapter of a national organization called the National
Association of Senior Friends. This is a non - profit
organization and there are about 300 chapters around the
nation. The local chapter has @ 1200 members but only @
100 active members.
The Senior Friends Program offers educational programs such
as having lunch with an expert where seniors get together for
lunch and have an expert in the medical field, etc. to come
and talk in laymen terms and have discussions. They also
have exercise classes like Tai Chi that is taught by Charlene
Strawn. There is a membership fee for the organization that is
$15 per person or $25 per couple. With "your membership
you receive about 99% of their events free such as the Tai Chi
I
and the expert luncheons. Their goal is to keep seniors
healthy, happy and independent. VJ
Marci introduced Officer Vessell with the S.A.L.T. program
(Seniors and Law Enforcement Together). Seniors work with
the law enforcement and officers for their personal safety.
This is a program that the citizens have to take up on their
own and the law enforcement will help them. He is involved
in TRIAD which is a true community police program. It is the
S.A.L.T. and law enforcement and the community working
together. The police department will form the S.A.L.T. council
and then any problems that arise in the elderly community
will go through the S.A.L.T. council and then anything the law
enforcement can do to help, they will. Example; ambulances
cannot find the correct address in an emergency due to the
letters not being on the mailboxes. Therefore, the citizens
complained to the S.A.L.T. council and they, in turn, went to
the law enforcement. The law enforcement then contacted
people in their community that like to donate money and gave
them the problem. Local businesses donated money, the parks
dept. went to the seniors and put the letters on their mailboxes
and it was all free of charge. Or if there is a telephone scam,
they send out alerts on the media and solve that problem. So
it's whatever problem is in your own community is what gets
solved. Law Enforcement does not always know what that
problem is so that is what the S.A.L.T. council is for. They
need seniors from their community to serve on that council.
II. Purpose of Advisory Committee
Marci asked for suggestions of the needs of the seniors in our
community. She stated that Austin has a nice brochure that
has all of their senior activities, clubs, etc. in it. There are @
8000 seniors in our community age 55 and over. When she
talked to some of the retirement communities in the area some
of the major problems and concerns was transportation. This
is an area where the city could be of some help because we
have vans to transport seniors to different locations.
Some other suggestions included getting together with Senior
Friends for dances. We need to focus on the seniors that are
not as active and get them out and involved. Have activities
with prizes, provide transportation. We need to look at
seniors as a resource because they have so much experience
and talents. We need to address newcomers in the
community. One way that is being done now is through
Brazos Bounty. Judy McFarland heads that program and
when newcomers come to the community, she takes them a
bag of information of all the activities in the Brazos Valley.
We could get in touch with her and make some brochures
about our committee to put in with their information. There
is also a real need for computer classes and other educational
classes for a small fee or no charge. Seniors have shown an
interest in e- mailing their families versus the expense of
phone calls. Xtra Education offers introductory computer
classes and alot of seniors sign up for these classes. Dana
stated that Xtra Education has a huge mail -out base and alot
of advertisement opportunities that we can network with.
Also, there is a Senior Resource book that comes out with the
Eagle once a year and the Golden Eagle that comes out once a
month. There are several day care centers for seniors in the
community. Some seniors would rather travel on their own
but we could get together with Senior Friends or other groups
and take some trips. We need to find some way to exchange
value ideas across the two age groups, 55 & over and 55 &
under.
Some other suggestions were to h
fair with a band concert complet e
contest, pie and cake judging, etc.
tournament. The committee need s
on.
III.
IV.
Future Meeting Places & Times
ave an old fashion county
with pickle judging, quilt
Perhaps a dance or domino
to find one thing to focus
The committee discussed meeting places in the future. The
College Station Library is available on Monday and Friday
mornings. We have planned the next meeting on Monday,
February 22nd at the library at 10:00 am.
Adjourn
The meeting adjourned at 11:15 am.
0:81 \645 \senior