GOOD MORNING EVERYONE. UM, FOR THE RECORD MY NAME IS ERIN MURPHY, AT-LARGE CITY COUNCILOR AND I AM THE CHAIR OF THE CITY COUNCIL COMMITTEE ON HUMAN SERVICES FORMERLY KNOWN AS STRONG WOMEN FAMILIES
AND COMMUNITIES. TODAY IS FEBRUARY 26TH, 2026 AND THE EXACT TIME IS 10:07 A.M.. THIS HEARING IS BEING RECORDED . IT IS ALSO BEING LIVE
STREAMED@BOSTON.GOV BACKSLASH CITY COUNCIL DASH TV AND BROADCAST ON XFINITY CHANNEL EIGHT, RCN CHANNEL 82 FIOS CHANNEL 964.
WRITTEN COMMENTS MAY BE SENT TO THE COMMITTEE EMAIL AT C C H DHS@BOSTON.GOV AND WILL BE MADE PART OF THE RECORD AND AVAILABLE TO ALL COUNCILORS. PUBLIC TESTIMONY WILL BE TAKEN
AT THE END OF THIS HEARING. INDIVIDUALS WILL BE CALLED ON IN THE ORDER IN WHICH THEY SIGNED UP AND WE'LL HAVE TWO MINUTES TO TESTIFY. IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN TESTIFYING IN PERSON, PLEASE ADD YOUR NAME TO THE SIGN UP
SHEET NEAR THE DOOR OF THE CHAMBER AND IF YOU ARE TUNING IN AND LOOKING TO TESTIFY VIRTUALLY, YOU CAN EMAIL CENTRAL STAFF LIAISON MEGAN
KAVANAUGH THAT IS MEG ANCHORVALE AND A BOSTON.GOV. FOR THE LINK IN YOUR NAME WILL BE ADDED TO THE LIST.
SO TODAY'S HEARING IS ON DOCKET 0287 ORDER FOR A HEARING REGARDING SENIOR PROGRAMING AND SERVICES ACROSS BOSTON. THIS MATTER WAS SPONSORED BY
MYSELF AND COUNCILOR FLYNN AND WAS REFERRED TO THE COMMITTEE OF HUMAN SERVICES ON FEBRUARY 4TH 2024. WE ARE JOINED TODAY BY
COUNCILOR FLYNN AND WE HAVE UM BEFORE WE INTRODUCE THE PANEL, UM, IF YOU WOULD LIKE COUNCILOR FLYNN TO START WITH AN OPENING STATEMENT.
THANK YOU. COUNCILOR COUNCILOR MURPHY, CHAIR MURPHY FOR BRINGING THIS IMPORTANT HEARING FORWARD. I WANT TO ALSO THANK THE PANEL
FOR BEING HERE AND FOR THEIR WORK, UM, THROUGHOUT THE CITY ON SUPPORTING SENIORS AND ENSURING EQUAL ACCESS FOR SENIORS ACROSS ACROSS BOSTON
ACROSS MASSACHUSETTS AS WELL. REALLY UM, HAVE RESPECT FOR ALL THREE OF THESE PEOPLE I KNOW YOU'LL INFORMALLY INTRODUCE THEM IN A SECOND. UM, BOSTON AS WE ALL KNOW, IS
HOME TO A LARGE POPULATION OF OLDER ADULTS WHO RELY ON CITY SERVICES, COMMUNITY BASED PROGRAMING, TRUSTED PARTNERS TO REMAIN HEALTHY, CONNECTED AND
ABLE TO AGE IN PLACE IN THE CITY PROVIDES EXCEPTIONAL SENIOR FOCUSED PROGRAMING AND SERVICES THROUGH THE AGE STRONG COMMISSION THAT USED TO BE CALLED THE ELDERLY COMMISSION.
UM EFFECTIVELY MANAGED UM BY EMILY SHOW DOES A TREMENDOUS JOB UM BUT HER HER TEAM PROVIDES EDUCATION WELLNESS PROGRAMING, SOCIAL ENGAGEMENT
AND SUPPORT SERVICES FOR OLDER RESIDENTS. UM PROGRAM IS ALSO DELIVERED THROUGH THE BOSTON CENTER FOR YOUTH AND FAMILIES. UH THEY PLAY A CRITICAL ROLE THROUGHOUT THROUGHOUT THE CITY
AS WELL. UM I HAD A CHANCE TO TALK BRIEFLY THIS MORNING TO CHIEF NOW SO I WANT TO RECOGNIZE THE BC WIFE TEAM. UM, FOR FOR ALL THEIR IMPORTANT
WORK AND AND TO RECOGNIZE ED MCGUIRE AND THE WORK HE DOES THROUGHOUT THE CITY AS WELL. UM, THROUGH COMMUNITY CENTERS, NEIGHBORHOOD BASED FACILITIES THAT SERVE AS IMPORTANT ACCESS
POINTS FOR OLDER ADULTS. UM, AGAIN, I'M HERE TO LEARN FROM YOU AND HOW WE CAN SUPPORT ,UM, OUR SENIORS INCLUDING MY
ELDERLY PARENTS THAT, UM, ARE STILL ACTIVE BUT THEY'RE IN THEIR LATE 80S BUT THEY LOVE GOING TO THE SOUTH BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY AND INTERACTING WITH THE LIBRARY STAFF AND THEIR NEIGHBORS IN SOUTH
BOSTON. BUT SENIORS ARE, UM, A WANT SENIORS WANT TO BE PART OF THE COMMUNITY. THEY ARE PART OF THE COMMUNITY. MANY OF THEM ARE VETERANS AS WELL. MANY OF DISABLED.
UM, BUT BOSTON IS A HOME FOR A LARGE NUMBER OF SENIORS AND WE WE RESPECT THEM. WE RESPECT THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS. UM, ALSO SENIORS AND PUBLIC
HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS DEVELOPMENTS ARE IMPORTANT TO ME. I REPRESENT THE LARGEST NUMBER OF RESIDENTS LIVING IN PUBLIC HOUSING OF ANY DISTRICT COUNCIL. SO I HAVE A STRONG FOCUS AND
UM, IDENTIFICATION WITH PUBLIC HOUSING TENANTS. UM, BUT AGAIN WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO THE UM TO THE BC WIFE TEAM, THE EIGHT STRONG TEAM AND
ETHOS I KNOW ETHOS PLAYS AN INCREDIBLE ROLE AS WELL THROUGHOUT THE CITY. UM, MADAM CHAIR, THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME AN EXTRA MINUTE TO, UM, TALK ABOUT, UM, WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO ME. THANK YOU.
AND THANK YOU FOR ALWAYS ADVOCATING FOR OUR SENIORS. MANY OF US SEE YOUR PARENTS. YOU MUST EDDIE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD STILL ACTIVE WHEN REMINDING US I THINK MY OWN
PARENTS ONE OF THE REASONS I FILED THIS HEARING ORDER UM, LIKE COUNCIL AT FLYNN, MY PARENTS ARE NO OLDER AND THE NEED FOR, UM, YOU KNOW,
CONNECTION AND SERVICES IS SO IMPORTANT AND THIS IS MY FIFTH YEAR HERE ON THE COUNCIL. I HAVE FILED AND HELD SIMILAR HEARING ORDERS BUT LAST YEAR WE DID FILE A HEARING ORDER ON, YOU KNOW, KIND OF GAPS ACROSS
THE CITY SPECIFICALLY THAT BECAUSE LOTS OF NEIGHBORHOODS WANT TO HAVE LIKE A BUILDING, YOU KNOW A SENIOR CENTER. WE KNOW YOU KNOW BRIGHTON CHARLESTOWN HAS ONE BUT WE KNOW
THAT THOSE SINGULAR BUILDINGS AREN'T THE ONLY PLACE WHERE OUR SENIORS FIND SERVICES AND ALSO YOUR DEPARTMENT. ALTHOUGH YOU WORK YOU HAVE TO WORK CLOSELY WITH SO MANY OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS. RIGHT.
SO THANK YOU EDDIE FOR BEING HERE FROM YOU KNOW, DCF. BUT LAST WEEK COUNCIL FLYNN AND I WERE AT A HEARING WITH DAVID LEONARD IN THE LIBRARY AND ONE POSITIVE THING MANY POSITIVE
THINGS CAME OUT OF IT. BUT ONE GOOD THING WAS HOW THEY'VE ADDED A STAFF TO REALLY ADDRESS SENIOR PROGRAMING AND A STAFF PERSON WHO'S ADDRESSING, YOU KNOW, YOUTH AND FAMILY PROGRAMING ACROSS ALL OF OUR
BRANCHES BECAUSE AS YOU KNOW PEOPLE GO TO COMMUNITY CENTERS, OUR RESIDENTS GO TO OUR LIBRARIES, GO TO OUR SENIOR CENTERS IF THERE'S ONE IN THEIR COMMUNITY. BUT WE DO HEAR YOU KNOW, THAT THERE ARE GAPS ACROSS THE CITY.
SO HOW ARE WE LEANING ON OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL COMMUNITIES HAVE IT? AND THE HEARING WE HELD LAST YEAR AND I KNOW I SPOKE DIRECTLY WITH TO YOU ABOUT THIS
EMILY IS IT WAS IT WAS HELD UM IN WEST ROXBURY WHICH WONDERFUL STRONG SENIOR COMMUNITY THAT'S BEEN ADVOCATING A LOT FOR YOU KNOW, THEIR NEED FOR A SENIOR CENTER.
BUT I DIDN'T WANT IT TO JUST BE FOCUSED ON ONE NEIGHBORHOOD BECAUSE THE BIGGER STORY IS LIKE WHERE WHERE DO WE HAVE GAPS? WHERE WHERE DO WE NEED TO FILL IN? SO LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT. YOU KNOW, INFORMATION FROM BOTH
OF YOU ON HOW WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT EVERY NEIGHBORHOOD, EVERY SENIOR FEELS LIKE THEY CAN YOU KNOW, IS IT TEN MINUTES WALK TO OR YOU KNOW, JUST HAVE SOME SENSE OF EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES
FOR OUR SENIORS ACROSS THE CITY . SO THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. I'LL FORMALLY FIRST I'LL UM INTRODUCE AND SAY WE'VE BEEN JOINED BY COUNCILOR FITZGERALD . SO WE'RE JUST STARTING WITH OPENING STATEMENTS IF YOU'D
LIKE TO GO COUNCIL FISHER. UH, NO. THANK YOU. I APOLOGIZE FOR THE TARDINESS. UH, THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE. UH, COMMISSIONER SHEA, I UNDERSTAND WE ALL WANT TO HEAR THAT SOMETIMES TOO, SO I HOPE
IT WASN'T TOO HARD. UM, BUT WELL WORTH IT. UH, LOOK FORWARD TO THE CONVERSATION. THANK YOU. CHAIR. THANK YOU. >> SO TODAY WE'VE BEEN JOINED BY EMILY SHEA, THE COMMISSIONER OF THE STRONG COMMISSION.
CORINNE CORRADO. CORRADO I'M NOT SURE YOUR TITLE UM, THE DEPUTY COMMISSIONER DEPUTY COMMISSIONER SHOULD KNOW THAT. SO THE DEPUTY AND THE COMMISSIONER FROM A STRONG THANK YOU FOR BOTH BEING HERE
AND ALSO EDDIE MCGUIRE WHO IS THE DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS FOR BCP. SO IF YOU'D LIKE TO START WITH SOME OPENING STATEMENTS AND THEN WE'LL ASK SOME QUESTIONS THAT BE GREAT. SURE. GREAT.
UM, SO UH, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING US HERE AND COUNCILOR FLYNN, I'LL JUST SAY THAT I SAW YOUR DAD LAST TIME I WAS IN THE SOUTH BOSTON LIBRARY. SO HE DOES LIKE TO TO HANG OUT THERE. UM, BUT GOOD MORNING.
UH, MADAM CHAIR, MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL. UM, THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE TODAY AND THANK YOU FOR HIGHLIGHTING THIS IMPORTANT ISSUE. MY NAME IS EMILY SHEA AND I
SERVE AS A STRONG COMMISSIONER AND I HAVE CORINNE WITH ME. CORINNE CREDO WHO'S OUR DEPUTY COMMISSIONER. UM, CORINNE, UH, AS PART OF HER. ROLE OVERSEES, UM, UH, OUR
EVENTS AND PROGRAMS TEAM WHICH IS LED BY TYISHA JONES HORNER. UM, IT'S AN AMAZING TEAM AND THEY'RE DOING SO MANY DIFFERENT THINGS. SO CORINNE IS HERE. UM, UH, JUST IF THERE ARE, UH,
KIND OF DETAILED QUESTIONS THAT THAT I DON'T KNOW UM, HOPEFULLY ONE OF US CAN ANSWER ALL OF YOUR QUESTIONS. UM, BUT, UH, BOSTON'S OLDER ADULT POPULATION IS GROWING
RAPIDLY AS I KNOW YOU ALL KNOW FROM 88,000 RESIDENTS OVER THE AGE OF 60 IN 2010 TO MORE THAN 130,000 TODAY AN INCREASE
OF JUST 48 OF AN INCREASE OF 48% IN JUST 15 YEARS. AND UM, IT'S CONTINUING TO GROW AS WELL. UM, IT SHOULD BE GROWING THROUGH AT LEAST 2050.
AND THIS DEMOGRAPHIC SHIFT UNDERSCORES THE URGENCY OF EXPANDING RESOURCES AND SERVICES SO THAT OLDER ADULTS CAN AGE WITH DIGNITY, SECURITY AND OPPORTUNITY. WELL, THERE ARE MANY PIECES TO
THE PUZZLE OF HEALTHY AGING. STAYING ACTIVE AND SOCIALLY CONNECTED IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE PICTURE. THIS IS NOT ONLY SUPPORTED BY DATA BUT ALSO WHAT WE HEAR LOUD
AND CLEAR FROM OLDER RESIDENTS ACROSS BOSTON NEIGHBORHOODS. AND I KNOW THAT YOU ALL HEAR THIS TOO. UM, THAT IS WHY THE CITY'S GOAL IS TO ENSURE THAT EVERY OLDER ADULT IN BOSTON HAS ACCESS TO
WELCOMING INCLUSIVE SPACES THAT PROMOTE PHYSICAL HEALTH, SOCIAL CONNECTION, ARTISTIC EXPRESSION, LIFELONG LEARNING AND OVERALL WELLNESS. H STRONG USES A MULTI-PRONGED APPROACH TOWARDS PROGRAMING
THAT INCLUDE SENIOR CENTERS, CITYWIDE PROGRAMING, SIGNATURE EVENTS, PARTNERSHIPS AND GRANTMAKING AND I'M PROUD TO SHARE THAT THIS PAST YEAR HAS BEEN ESPECIALLY EXCITING FOR
ADVANCING OUR PROGRAMING GOALS. I WANT TO PERSONALLY THANK YOU ALL AND CITY COUNCIL FOR ADDING AN ADDITIONAL $200,000 TO OUR UM TO OUR BUDGET LAST YEAR AS
AN EIGHT STRONG INVESTMENT IN THE FINAL F Y 26 BUDGET. WE'VE USED THAT SPECIFICALLY FOR PROGRAMING. UM, THIS FUNDING ALLOWED US TO SIGNIFICANTLY EXPAND
OPPORTUNITIES FOR OLDER ADULTS TO STAY ENGAGED AND CONNECTED IN THE COMMUNITY ON AN ONGOING BASIS. IN 2025 WE ACTIVATED FIVE NEW EIGHT STRONG OPERATED PROGRAMING SPACES ACROSS THE
CITY. UM I THINK YOU'VE HEARD THIS BEFORE BUT JUST TO TO TELL THEM UH, THE DO IT CENTER IN ROXBURY SPONTANEOUS CELEBRATIONS IN JP THE HOLLAND COMMUNITY CENTER
AND COMMONS SQUARE LIBRARY IN DORCHESTER AND UNION CHURCH IN THE SOUTH END. SO WE PICKED THOSE BECAUSE THEY'RE KIND OF FILLING SOME OF THE GAPS THAT WE SEE IN THE CITY EACH OFFER AND THEY'RE
EACH OFFERING NOW TWO DAYS OF PROGRAMING EVERY WEEK. UM WE'RE ALSO GRATEFUL TO HAVE RECEIVED UM, $325,000 IN STATE
EARMARKS, UM, FROM OUR FABULOUS STATE REPRESENTATIVES. WHICH HAS WHICH HAVE ALLOWED US TO EXPAND PROGRAMING IN ALREADY ACTIVE ACTIVATED SITES AND ALSO
IN ADDITIONAL NEIGHBORHOODS. IN ADDITION, H STRONG OPERATES TWO SENIOR CENTERS IN BRIGHTON AND EAST BOSTON THAT ARE THRIVING ACTIVE SPACES. I KNOW YOU'VE ALL BEEN TO THOSE
AND UM UH, COUNCILOR MURPHY, YOU WERE UH, DANCING AWAY THERE AT OUR MARDI GRAS CELEBRATION IN BRIGHTON THE OTHER DAY. UM, THESE CENTERS REMAIN CORNERSTONES OF ENGAGEMENT AND COMMUNITY FOR OLDER ADULTS.
IN FACT, OUR VISION IS TO CREATE THAT, UM, TYPE OF SPACE IN ALL BOSTON NEIGHBORHOODS. TOGETHER THROUGH THESE EFFORTS WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO PROVIDE OVER 6000 HOURS OF PROGRAMING
AT EIGHT STRONG OPERATED SITES ACROSS THE CITY IN THIS PAST YEAR. AND YOUR INVESTMENT HELPED TO ENSURE OUR ABILITY TO DO THIS WORK. BUT OUR EFFORTS GO BEYOND PROGRAMING AT EIGHT STRONG
OPERATED SITES. WE CONTINUE TO SUPPORT SPECIAL PROGRAMS AT BC WYETH LIBRARIES AND OTHER COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS WHILE ALSO LAUNCHING INNOVATIVE PARTNERSHIPS THAT INTRODUCE NEW
AND ENRICHING EXPERIENCES TO OLDER ADULTS ACROSS THE CITY. THESE PARTNERSHIPS INCLUDE ORGANIZATIONS LIKE IMPROV ASYLUM AND BOSTON HARBOR ISLANDS. WE ARE ESPECIALLY GRATEFUL TO
PARTNERS LIKE GODDARD HOUSE UM ,WHICH SINCE 2018 HAS MADE A SUSTAINED INVESTMENT IN SUSTAINING CREATIVE AGING PROGRAMS AND EXPANDING MEANINGFUL CULTURAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR OLDER OLDER
PEOPLE. THROUGH THIS PARTNERSHIP IN 2025 WE EXPANDED OUR POOL OF PARTNERS COMMITTED TO CREATIVE AGING PRINCIPLES, TRAINING AN ADDITIONAL 25
TEACHING ARTISTS AND 15 NEW COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATIONS. THESE PARTNERS ARE NOW GROWN EQUIPPED WITH TOOLS TO DESIGN AND DELIVER INCLUSIVE, CULTURALLY GROUNDED EXPERIENCES
TO OLDER ADULTS AND WE PLAN TO TRAIN ANOTHER COHORT NEXT MONTH ,FURTHER EXPANDING OUR REACH ACROSS BOSTON'S ARTS COMMUNITY. THROUGH THIS INITIATIVE, WE'VE ALSO BUILT STRONG PARTNERSHIPS
WITH LEADING CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS TO BRING HIGH QUALITY, ENRICHING EXPERIENCES TO OLDER ADULTS FROM STORYTELLING CLASSES HOSTED AT THE MFA TO ART GALLERY EXHIBITS
AND HANDS ON CLASSES AT THE ICA AND ACCESS TO PERFORMANCES SUCH AS THE BOSTON POPS AND BLACK NATIVITY. THESE OPPORTUNITIES DEEPEN CULTURAL ENGAGEMENT AND EXPAND
ACCESS TO SOME OF BOSTON'S MOST HISTORIC CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS ,SPACES THAT HAVE NOT ALWAYS BEEN ACCESSIBLE TO MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES. IN ADDITION, OUR SIGNATURE LARGE GATHERINGS LIKE OUR BLACK
HISTORY MONTH EVENT AND UH, WE'RE HOLDING THAT ON FRIDAY SO I HOPE YOU ALL WHICH IS TOMORROW. SO I HOPE YOU ALL COME. UM UH, SAINT PATRICK'S DAY
CELEBRATIONS, HISPANIC HERITAGE AND SPRING FLING CONTINUE TO DRAW THOUSANDS OF OLDER ADULTS TOGETHER IN JOYFUL COMMUNITY. I'M SURE THERE WILL BE A LOT OF FUN AND DANCING TOMORROW. UM, FINALLY I WANT TO TALK
ABOUT OUR GRANTMAKING BECAUSE I THINK THIS IS A REALLY IMPORTANT PART OF THIS PROCESS . UM, THERE ARE SO MANY REASONS TO FUND SOCIAL CONNECTION. IT'S AT THE HEART OF HEALTHY BRAINS, HEALTHY BODIES AND
HEALTHY SPIRITS AND LIKE A PUZZLE WE KIND OF PIECE TOGETHER OUR FEDERAL FUNDING, OUR STATE FUNDING AND OUR CITY FUNDING FOR THIS WORK. UM OUR FUNDING ROUNDS INCLUDE OUR OLDER AMERICANS, SOME
OF OUR OLDER AMERICANS ACT FEDERAL FUNDING, OUR EXPANDING ENGAGEMENT GRANT PROGRAM WHICH IS PART OF OUR CITY OPERATING BUDGET AND NEW THIS YEAR OUR ROLLING GRANT PROGRAM WHICH
WE'RE FUNDING THROUGH OUR STATE COUNCIL ON AGING DOLLARS ALTOGETHER IN FY 2026 WE'VE GIVEN 95 GRANTS FOR SOCIAL ENGAGEMENT PROGRAMING TOTALING
JUST UNDER $1 MILLION. UM, AND WE ACTUALLY HAVE TWO MORE ROUNDS OF ROLLING GRANTS THAT WE'LL BE GIVING OUT BEFORE THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR. WE FUNDED A DIVERSITY OF PROGRAMS AND PEOPLE ACROSS
ALL NEIGHBORHOODS. THESE PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS SUBMITTED COMMUNITY DRIVEN, THOUGHTFUL AND CREATIVE PROPOSALS AND WE REALLY APPRECIATE ALL THAT THEY DO. WE KIND OF THINK OF THEM AS AN
EXTENSION OF OF OF US UM, BECAUSE THEY'RE TOUCHING PEOPLE THAT WE'RE NOT TOUCHING. WE ALSO UM ARE ONE OF THE ONLY FUNDERS WHO FUND ANYTHING TARGETED TO OLDER ADULTS.
UM, IT'S JUST NOT A BIG FUNDING AREA. UM, SO THIS FUNDING PLAYS AN OUTSIZED ROLE AND IMPACT. WELL. >> OUR EXTERNAL PARTNERS ARE ESSENTIAL. WE ARE ALSO DEEPLY GRATEFUL TO HAVE MANY DEDICATED CITY
PARTNERS WHO SHARE OUR COMMITMENT TO EXPANDING PROGRAMING FOR OLDER ADULTS. UH, WE COULDN'T DO THIS WORK WITHOUT BCF. WE, UM WE PARTNER WITH THEM A LOT AND YOU'LL HEAR MORE ABOUT
THESE AND THEIR INCREDIBLE EFFORTS SHORTLY. AND WE ARE REALLY THANKFUL FOR OUR LIBRARY, UM, OUR POLICE AND PARKS PARTNERS THEY'RE ALL DOING FUN THINGS OUT THERE IN
THE COMMUNITY WHO HELP CREATE OPPORTUNITIES TO IMPROVE ACCESS FOR OLDER PEOPLE IN BOSTON. WE'VE MADE TREMENDOUS STRIDES, BUT WE RECOGNIZE THERE'S STILL SIGNIFICANTLY MORE WORK TO DO.
WE NEED TO GROW AND DEEPEN WORK ACROSS PROGRAMING SPACES. UM OUR NEXT STEPS ALSO INCLUDE LAUNCHING AN INTERACTIVE VIRTUAL AND PRINT PROGRAMING
CALENDAR AND I THINK UH CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG BUT I THINK THAT WITHIN THE NEXT MONTH OR TWO WE SHOULD ACTUALLY HAVE CALENDARS THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE GETTING OUT THERE FOR OUR EXPANSION SITES. WE ALREADY HAVE THEM FOR OUR
TWO OPERATING SENIOR CENTERS. UM UH IT'S THAT WE'RE HOPING THAT WILL IMPROVE ACCESSIBILITY AND KIND OF KNOWLEDGE OF WHAT'S GOING ON. UM, AND OVER THE NEXT YEAR WE'RE ALSO HOPING TO INTRODUCE
A TRANSPORTATION ACCESS PLAN TO ENSURE THAT OLDER ADULTS CAN EASILY REACH PROGRAMING SITES. WE WON'T BE ABLE TO DO EVERYTHING, BUT I THINK WE'LL DO WHAT WE CAN UM, WITH THE RESOURCES WE HAVE.
UM AND IT WILL UH WE FEEL LIKE IT'S GOING TO TAKE ALL OF US TOGETHER TO LEVERAGE PARTNERSHIPS TO CONTINUE TO GROW FUNDING AND RESOURCES. AND WE REALLY APPRECIATE THE COUNCIL SUPPORT AND LOOK
FORWARD TO COLLABORATING WITH THE CITY, WITH CITY AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS TO ENSURE EQUITABLE OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL OLDER ADULTS IN BOSTON. SO THANK YOU. AND UM, CHAIR, I DON'T KNOW IF
YOU WANT ME TO TURN IT OVER. TO EDDIE. UM, EDDIE. ALL YOURS. >> THANK YOU. GOOD MORNING, MADAM CHAIR. COUNCILOR FLYNN COUNCIL FITZGERALD. THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TODAY ON BEHALF OF BOSTON CENTERS AND YOUTH AND FAMILIES.
MY NAME IS ADAM MCGUIRE AND I SERVE AS THE DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS FOR BCF ABCDEF. WE ARE COMMITTED TO THE RESPONSE AND NEEDS EXPRESSED BY OLDER ADULTS ACROSS OUR NEIGHBORHOODS BY PROVIDING A
WIDE RANGE OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR HEALTHY ENGAGEMENT, MEANINGFUL CONNECTION AND SUPPORTIVE SERVICES. IN 2025 BCF DELIVERED 607 HOURS OF OLDER ADULT PROGRAMING WHILE
THIS NUMBER REMAINED ESSENTIALLY LEVEL WITH 2024, PARTICIPATION AND ENGAGEMENT CONTINUED TO GROW IN MEANINGFUL WAYS. EXPANDED PROGRAMING ACROSS OUR CENTERS HAS RESULTED IN A 4%
INCREASE IN VISITS FROM OLDER ADULTS OVER UH OVER THE YEAR DURING CALENDAR 2025 7556 INDIVID INDIVIDUAL OLDER ADULTS
AGES 55 PLUS PARTICIPATED IN BCA ACTIVITIES A 13% INCREASE OF 20 UH OVER 2024 RECORDED
175,896 TOTAL OR OLDER ADULT VISITS, A 23% INCREASE FROM LAST YEAR. WE ORDERED UH WE OFFERED 339 OLDER ADULT PROGRAMING UH
PROGRAMS, WHICH IS A 4% INCREASE OVER 2024. THESE NUMBERS UH TELL AN IMPORTANT STORY EVEN WITH PROGRAMING HOURS HOLDING STEADY ,MORE OLDER ADULTS ARE ENGAGING WITH BC OF SPACES AND
THEY ARE VISITING MORE FREQUENTLY. THAT SPEAKS TO THE TRUST OF OUR CENTER, UH, TRUST THAT OUR CENTERS HAVE BUILT AND THE DEMAND FOR IT ACCESSIBLE NEIGHBORHOOD BASED PROGRAMING.
TODAY 30 BCF CENTERS OFFER ONGOING WEEKLY PROGRAMING UH, FOR OLDER ADULTS AND MORE THAN DOUBLE THE NUMBER OF CENTERS. THAT'S MORE THAN DOUBLING THE NUMBER OF CENTERS IN 2024.
THE PROGRAMING ITSELF REFLECTS WHAT OLDER ADULTS ARE ASKING FOR. WE OFFER PHYSICAL WELLNESS ACTIVITIES SUCH AS SENIOR LAP SWIM CHAIR YOGA, MORNING MOVEMENT, LOW IMPACT AEROBICS,
TAI CHI PICKLEBALL, ARTHRITIS EXERCISE, SENIOR ARCHERY AND 55 PLUS MEN'S BASKETBALL. WE OFFER CREATIVE AND SOCIAL PROGRAMING SUCH AS LINE DANCING, GUITAR LESSONS.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT IS BUT I DO ARTS AND CRAFTS, CREATIVE PORTRAITS, UH CERAMICS, FLORAL ARRANGEMENT EVENTS, MAHJONG CARD GAMES, DOMINOES, SMACKDOWN AND GOLDEN AGE GAME DAY AND
COFFEE HOUR. WE OFFER EDUCATIONAL AND SUPPORTIVE WORKSHOPS INCLUDING COMPUTER BASICS, ONE ON ONE PHONE ASSISTANCE, NUTRITION PRESENTATIONS AND SESSIONS,
ONLINE UH AND SESSIONS ON ONLINE BUYING PLATFORMS. WE ALSO HOST FREE FOOD WEDNESDAYS MIX AND MINGLE EVENTS, BARBECUE GATHERINGS, COFFEE HOURS, FRIENDSHIP CLUB
AND FRIENDSHIP CLUBS TO COMBAT SOCIAL ISOLATION. IN 2024 I MEAN IN 2025 THE OLDER ADULTS WE SERVE 35%
IDENTIFIED AS MALE, 61 AS FEMALE AND 3% DECLINED TO STATE THEIR GENDER 11% IDENTIFIED AS BLACK OR AFRICAN AMERICAN, 8% AS LATINO, 8% AS ASIAN, 45% AS
WHITE AND 2% AS MULTIRACIAL OR OTHER AND 26% DECLINED TO STATE RACE OR ETHNICITY. WE RECOGNIZE THAT CONTINUED OUTREACH IS ESSENTIAL TO ENSURE OUR PROGRAMING REFLECTS THE
FULL DIVERSITY OF BOSTON'S OLDER ADULT POPULATION. PCF IS ALSO BUILDING INFRASTRUCTURE TO SUSTAIN AND STRENGTHEN THIS WORK, INCLUDING HOSTING A QUARTERLY NETWORK MEETING SO STAFF CAN SHARE
STRATEGIES, EXPLORE PARTNERSHIPS AND COORDINATE WITH THE EIGHT STRONG COMMISSION. WE ARE INVESTING IN STAFF TRAINING INCLUDING DEMENTIA AWARENESS, SENIOR FITNESS CREDENTIALS AND OLDER ADULT
PROGRAM PLANNING. OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH HRA COMMISSION PROVIDES ACCESS TO SPECIALIZED STAFF VENDORS, ADVOCACY SUPPORT FOR REFERRAL SERVICES, TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE
AND MONTHLY PUBLICATION THAT HELPS OLDER ADULTS STAY INFORMED ABOUT EVENTS AND RESOURCES IN THEIR COMMUNITIES. THIS COLLABORATION STRENGTHENS THE ECOSYSTEM OF SERVICES AVAILABLE TO UH OLDER ADULTS
CITYWIDE. PCF CENTERS. >> ARE HUBS IN NEIGHBORHOODS ACROSS BOSTON. MANY COMMUNITIES WITH HIGH CONCENTRATION OF RESIDENTS IN SIGNIFICANT NEED. UH OUR ROLE IS NOT SIMPLY TO OFFER ACTIVITIES.
IT IS TO PROVIDE WELCOMING SPACE TO FOSTER BELONGING, REDUCE ISOLATION, SUPPORT WELLNESS AND CONNECT OLDER ADULTS TO ESSENTIAL RESOURCES. WE ARE PROUD OF THE GROWTH AND PARTICIPATION IN THE VISITS
THIS YEAR. WE ARE CONTINUING. WE ARE COMMITTED TO CONTINUING TO EXPAND ACCESS, DEEPEN QUALITY AND ENSURE BOSTON OLDER ADULTS CAN AGE ACTIVELY WITH DIGNITY IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS
THEY CALL HOME. SO THAT IS PRETTY MUCH WHAT I HAVE. SO I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP AND CONTINUOUS SUPPORT ON THIS SUBJECT AND I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU ALL MAY HAVE. THANK YOU YOU THANK YOU THAT
WAS INFORMATIVE. I WILL START WITH COUNCILOR FLYNN. THANK YOU. >> UM, CHAIR MURPHY AND THANK YOU TO THE ADMINISTRATION TEAM THAT IS HERE. BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, THANK YOU
FOR THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING ACROSS THE CITY OF BOSTON HELPING SUPPORT SENIORS IN PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES AS WELL.
UM MADE. MAYBE I'LL GO TO UM COMMISSIONER SHEA. UM. >> COMMISSIONER SHEA, CAN YOU TALK.
ABOUT HOW YOU INTERACT WITH OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS MAYBE UM, PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES WITH COMMISSIONER. MCCOSH, MAYBE WITH. UM I KNOW YOU DO A LOT OF WORK WITH THE VETERANS UH,
DEPARTMENT WITH COMMISSIONER SANTIAGO, BUT CAN YOU. EXPLAIN HOW. >> YOU INTERACT WITH THEM AND HOW YOU COORDINATE AND REACH OUT TO SENIORS AND. UM. >> ENSURING THAT, YOU KNOW, VETERANS ARE PART OF THE UM,
SOCIAL FABRIC OF THE CITY BUT ALSO PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES THAT MIGHT BE. OLDER AS WELL. HOW DOES THAT INTERACTION INTERACTION GO? SURE. >> UM HAPPY TO DO THAT RIGHT. I THINK THAT.
THE UM GREAT. THINGS ABOUT. OLDER ADULTS IS THAT THEY KIND OF CUT ACROSS ALMOST EVERYTHING THAT WE DO IN THE CITY AND. IT'S CRITICAL THAT WE WORK WITH OUR PARTNER DEPARTMENTS.
UM. IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE THAT UM, ALL THEIR NEEDS ARE MET. UM, UH THE TWO. >> THAT. YOUR THAT YOU MENTIONED SPECIFICALLY I CAN GIVE UM A COUPLE OF UH JUST.
EXAMPLES ON UM SO I WILL SAY I HAVE A STANDING MEETING WITH COMMISSIONER MCCOSH. WE MEET ONCE A MONTH. UM, BUT WE WORK, UM, A LOT WITH HER TEAM ON. UM. >> A LOT. >> OF. THE INFRASTRUCTURE ISSUES.
SO A LOT OF ACCESSIBILITY INFRASTRUCTURE ISSUES, UM, UH, AS WELL AS MANY OTHER THINGS. BUT THAT'S A BIG THING THAT WE WORK ON TOGETHER. UM, HER TEAM IS, UH, YOU KNOW,
THEY HAVE THE ARCHITECTS AND THEY, UM, WEIGH IN ON THAT UM, ARTICLE 80 UM CHECKLIST. WE WERE ABLE TO ALSO ADD SOME KIND OF ADDITIONAL AGE FRIENDLY ITEMS TO THAT ARTICLE 80
CHECKLIST. AND WE WORK CLOSELY AND COLLABORATIVELY WITH HER ON KIND OF UH, YOU KNOW, BUILDINGS AND STREETS AND ALL SORTS OF THINGS LIKE THAT.
UM, AND UH WE JUST MET WITH THE PARKING DEPARTMENT WITH THEM UM, IN A COLLABORATIVE UH, EFFORT FOR ALL THREE OF US TO WORK. TOGETHER MORE CLOSELY.
UM, THE VETERANS DEPARTMENT IS ALSO WONDERFUL. WE WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH THEM AROUND CONSTITUENT SERVICES. UM. >> THAT VETERANS HAVE AND UM, I THINK YOU ALL KNOW WE'VE BEEN OUT DOING COST SAVING CLINICS
IN THE COMMUNITY. WE'RE ACTUALLY IN ROSLINDALE TODAY. UM, FINALLY I THINK THE LAST. IS TODAY THURSDAY. WE WERE THERE YESTERDAY TO UH
MONDAY AND TUESDAY WE HAD UH STORM WE HAD TO CANCEL FOR A STORM SPENT UM WE'RE OUT IN ROSLINDALE TODAY AND THEY'VE BEEN GREAT UM A GREAT PARTNER FOR US IN IN UH, THOSE COST
SAVING CLINICS. SO THEY HAVE A TABLE THERE SO THAT THEY'RE ABLE TO HELP VETERANS, UM, WHO NEED SUPPORT. SO, UM, AND THEN I WOULD JUST ADD THE LAST THING I'LL ADD,
UM, IS THAT WE ARE WORKING ON A CITY PLAN FOR AGING. UM, AND UH, AND. SO ALL. UH, MANY CITY DEPARTMENTS ARE INVOLVED IN THAT, RIGHT?
BECAUSE EVERYONE HAS A ROLE TO. PLAY. >> UM, IN MAKING SURE THAT PEOPLE UM, AGE 55 AND ABOVE OR 60 AND ABOVE OR WHATEVER YOU CALL AN OLDER PERSON UM, UH CAN
UH FUNCTION WELL IN OUR IN OUR CITY. THAT'S EXCELLENT. UM THANK YOU EMILY. UM MAYBE. MAYBE MY FINAL QUESTION ON THIS ROUND I DO WANT TO GIVE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR MY OTHER
COLLEAGUES TO, UM, TO ASK QUESTIONS. ONE ISSUE I AM. CONCERNED WITH AND THIS IS REALLY A NATIONAL ISSUE IS THE
AMOUNT OF SCAMS THAT TAKE PLACE ACROSS THE COUNTRY IN HERE IN BOSTON ON HOW PEOPLE MANIPULATE USE OLDER OLDER RESIDENTS FOR
FINANCIAL. GAIN WHETHER IT'S A SCAM THROUGH THE TELEPHONE UM, YOU KNOW, ASK PRETENDING YOU'RE A LOVED ONE OR A FAMILY MEMBER AND THE THE SENIOR MIGHT TAKE
OUT MONEY AND TRANSFER IT TO A A SCAM ARTIST BASICALLY. UM. I KNOW YOU'VE DONE A. LOT OF WORK ON THIS IN THE PAST, EMILY. UM, AND I WAS GOING TO ASK. UM. >> MAYBE COUNCILOR MURPHY TO.
COULD WE TRY TO DO A. HEARING ON ELDERLY SCAMMING UM, SOMETIME IN THE FUTURE? AND ARE YOU DOING ANY.
TYPE OF WORK IN TERMS OF EDUCATING RESIDENTS ABOUT THIS MAYBE EVEN THROUGH UM, LIKE A FACEBOOK. COMMUNICATION DOESN'T NECESSARILY HAVE TO BE.
HEARING BUT ARE YOU DOING ANY TYPE. OF UM OUTREACH COMMUNICATION OUTREACH. JUST SO THAT WE CAN TRY TO REACH AS MUCH AS MANY SENIORS AS WE CAN ABOUT WHAT TO LOOK
FOR AS WE SEE, UM, POTENTIAL PEOPLE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF OUR SENIORS? SURE. >> WELL, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION. AND I THINK, UH, THAT, UH, CHAIR MURPHY ACTUALLY HAS A HEARING COMING UP ON THE NINTH
. IS IT THE NINTH? COUNCILOR FLYNN, YOU YOU HAVE SO MANY HEARINGS. UM, YEAH. YOU KNOW, YOU. >> CO-SPONSORED ONE. >> SO ON MARCH. >> 9TH MARCH 9TH. OKAY. >> ACTUALLY RESCHEDULED IT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE POLICE WHO OBVIOUSLY WORK CLOSELY WITH YOU
SO THEY WILL BE IN ATTENDANCE WITH YOU ALSO ON MARCH 9TH SO YEAH. OKAY. >> THAT'S EXCELLENT. UM, BUT WE DO HIGHLIGHT SCAMS EVERY UM MONTH IN OUR DIFFERENT SCAMS EVERY MONTH IN OUR SENIORITY MAGAZINE.
UM AND PARTNER WITH THE POLICE TO TRY AND GET THE WORD OUT. UM, I THINK THAT THERE'S, UH, DEFINITELY MORE THAT WE COULD DO IN THIS AREA. UH, IT'S I MEAN, SCAMMERS ARE ALWAYS LIKE THEY'RE SO CREATIVE
. UM, AND THEY'RE ALWAYS CHANGING UP THEIR UM THEIR TECHNIQUES AND IT IS VERY HARD TO GET YOUR MONEY BACK ONCE YOU'VE BEEN
SCAMMED. UM, AND SO I THINK UH, THAT ADDITIONAL EDUCATION AND CONTINUING EDUCATION AND MAKING SURE THAT THAT EDUCATION REACHES EVERYBODY AND TAKES
INTO ACCOUNT ALL THE NEW UH, TACTICS PEOPLE ARE USING IS REALLY IMPORTANT. YOU KNOW, THANK YOU. THANK YOU EMILY AND. AND MAYBE I'LL TAKE ONE. ONE LAST OPPORTUNITY I DO WANT
TO ASK AT A QUESTION UM FROM BCF SO ONE ONE CONCERN I'VE. ALWAYS HAD. >> AND WHAT. >> I ALWAYS. TRY TO WORK ON IS ENSURING THAT . PEOPLE OF COLOR.
ARE ALSO, UM, INVOLVED IN UM CITY LIFE AND CITY SERVICES AND ENSURING CITY SERVICES, UH, MEET THEM. >> WHERE. THEY'RE AT, WHETHER THEY'RE IN THE PUBLIC HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS OR OTHER OTHER DEVELOPMENTS.
BUT TELL. ME ED. HOW THE INTERACTION IS. WITH UM, YOU KNOW. CHALLENGING AREAS. SUCH AS. VHA WHERE.
IT MIGHT BE DIFFICULT TO REACH PEOPLE. BUT I DO. KNOW THAT THERE'S A LOT. OF GOOD PROGRAMS THAT ARE SET UP IN THE HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS . BUT HOW DO YOU WHAT ARE SOME OF THE PROGRAMS ALSO FOR.
UH, PEOPLE OF COLOR. >> AND. HOW HOW IS THAT INTERACTION. WORKING IN TERMS OF. TRYING TO ENSURE THAT WE. UM, MEET AND SERVE EVERYONE THROUGHOUT THE CITY? I REPRESENT A.
LARGE PUERTO RICAN COMMUNITY. IN THE SOUTH AND I REPRESENT REPRESENT A. LARGE UM UM SPANISH SPEAKING COMMUNITY IN SOUTH BOSTON, MANY OF THE PUBLIC HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS. BUT DO YOU.
HAVE ANY IDEAS OF UM. HOW WE'RE DOING JUST IN TERMS OF SOME OF THE OUTREACH. TO UM. PEOPLE THROUGHOUT THE CITY? YEAH. >> UM, WE HAVE LIKE A PILOT SYSTEM RIGHT NOW THAT UM IS FOR SOCIAL MEDIA A LOT OF THE
OUTREACH UM, FROM INDIVIDUAL SITES WAS CENTRALIZED FOR UM, YOU KNOW, MANY YEARS. SO THERE WASN'T UM I WOULD SAY THE ABILITY FOR AN INDIVIDUAL SITE TO KIND OF DEVELOP THAT OUTREACH PLAN SPECIFIC TO WHAT THEY'RE DOING.
UM, AND WORKING WITH SANDY HOLDEN, UM, AND HER TEAM, UH, WE'RE STARTING TO PILOT. THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE SEEING IT UM ,THAT PARTICULAR TYPE OF ONLINE OUTREACH UH, EXPANDING IN MANY WAYS.
UH, ANOTHER THING IS I MEAN JUST WORKING UH, MUCH CLOSELY WITH THE ADRIAN COMMISSION AS WELL TO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE SENIOR ADVOCATES AND WE'RE REALLY, YOU KNOW, TARGETING UM
,ESPECIALLY FOR OUR STANDALONE FACILITIES WHICH WE HAVE A LOT MORE OF. A BROADER ACCESS FROM. EARLY MORNING TO, YOU KNOW, LATE IN THE AFTERNOON, UM, INTO THE EVENING WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO TARGET AND PUT THOSE UH,
SPECIFIC TYPES OF PROGRAMS UM, AND PROGRAMS THAT THEY'RE INTERESTED IN UH, IN THAT MORNING THOSE MORNING HOURS. UM, AND WE'RE PUSHING OUR STAFF TO INCORPORATE THAT AS WELL AS HAVING CONVERSATIONS WITH.
BUDGET AS WELL AS HR TO DEVELOP UM AND AND DEVELOP MORE POSITIONS SPECIFIC TO UH THE LA DEMOGRAPHICS. SO UM IN EVERY SINGLE NEIGHBORHOOD WE HAVE WE HAVE
PUSHED WHETHER IT IS A STANDALONE FACILITY OR A FACILITY, THERE ARE CERTAIN RESTRICTIONS WITH BVB'S FACILITIES WHICH YOU KNOW, KIND OF IMPEDE A LITTLE BIT ON WHO WE CAN BRING INTO THAT FACILITY
AT AT A PARTICULAR TIME. UH, BUT YOU KNOW, IF THERE IS LIKE A SEPARATION WE DO SEE LIKE SUCCESSFUL PROGRAMING AT YOU KNOW, IN THE MILDRED COMMUNITY CENTER UM YOU KNOW GROVE HALL AS WELL AS SPECIFIC
TO UM THE ELDERLY POPULATION. SO YOU KNOW, ANY WAY THAT WE CAN ENGAGE ENGAGING WITH LANGUAGE ACCESS, MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE MEETING PEOPLE UM, AND UNDERSTANDING AT THE LEVEL THAT THEY NOT ONLY CAN READ BUT THE LANGUAGE. >> IN WHICH THEY THEY SPEAK.
SO THERE'S A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT WAYS THAT WE TRIED. UH, TRIED TO DO THAT. UM. YOU KNOW, I WOULD SAY THAT HAVING MORE STANDALONE FACILITIES IN THE FUTURE THERE ARE A COUPLE THAT ARE, YOU
KNOW, PENDING TO BE BUILT WOULD GIVE US GREATER ACCESS TO BE ABLE TO CONTINUE THAT PROGRAMING IN A MORE UM, YOU KNOW, ON A BROADER. SENSE. >> UH, JUST BECAUSE WHEN YOU HAVE AUTONOMY. >> OVER A SPACE IT'S IT'S JUST IT'S JUST EASIER TO DO SUCH A THING.
BUT YEAH, WE TRY TO ENGAGE AT ALL LEVELS AND OBVIOUSLY AS THE YEAR GOES BY THERE'S ALL THESE DIFFERENT TYPES OF EVENTS WHETHER IT'S SAINT PATTY'S DAY OR THREE KING DAY OR YOU KNOW, LUNAR NEW YEAR. AND SO ALL OF THOSE THINGS ARE
INCORPORATED INTO A PROGRAMMATIC LEVEL TO ENGAGE WHETHER YOU'RE A YOUNG. OLD OR UH. YOU KNOW, I GUESS MY AGE SO. WELL WELL. THANK YOU ED AND UM. >> I DO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE.
UM, A NEIGHBOR OF. MINE WHO I THINK DOES A TREMENDOUS. JOB IS. BARBARA KELLY BARBARA KELLY CAPUTO. BUT I. SEE HER DOWN AT THE CONDON AND SHE'S INTERACTING. >> AND.
BRINGING PEOPLE. TOGETHER, ESPECIALLY RESIDENTS THROUGHOUT THE PUBLIC HOUSING DEVELOPMENT. >> MANY. SENIORS UM, BUT SHE HAS A WONDERFUL. WAY OF BRINGING PEOPLE. TOGETHER, SENIORS BEING RESPECTFUL TO THEM.
SO I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE HER BUT UM. AND EMILY, I SEE YOU FREQUENTLY IN CHINATOWN. INTERACTING WITH A LOT OF THE UM A LOT OF THE SENIORS IN. CHINATOWN AND YOU HAVE SOME
WONDERFUL PROGRAMING. THERE ESPECIALLY. AS EDIE. MENTIONED. >> LANGUAGE AND. COMMUNICATION ACCESS IS IMPORTANT BUT I JUST WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE. YOUR PROFESSIONALISM UM, AS WELL EMILY.
AND WORKING WITH. UM, AN. IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY. ,UM. >> RESPECTING UM LANGUAGE. >> AND COMMUNICATION. UM, BUT REALLY. TREATING THE ELDERLY COMMUNITY IN CHINATOWN.
WITH RESPECT AND. DIGNITY AND. UM, I SEE HOW. YOU INTERACT. WITH THEM ONE ON ONE. UM. >> YOU DON'T BRUSH PEOPLE OFF. YOU LISTEN TO PEOPLE, UM, YOU. KNOW, THEY MIGHT TALK FOR. >> A COUPLE MINUTES BUT YOU'RE
VERY RESPECTFUL TO THEM AND JUST WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT I'VE SEEN. YOU OVER MANY YEARS AND YOU. ALWAYS, UH, CONDUCT YOURSELF IN A PROFESSIONAL MANNER. UM, MADAM CHAIR, THAT'S IT FOR ME.
THANK YOU. I'D LIKE TO ADD THAT WE'VE BEEN JOINED BY COUNCIL LOUIJEUNE AND, UM, COUNCILOR FITZGERALD. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. >> CHAIR. UH, ONCE AGAIN THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. ALL OF YOU GUYS.
UM, YEAH. I'M THINKING ABOUT WHEN YOU TALKED ABOUT THE. UH YOU DIDN'T CALL THEM ANCILLARY SITES BUT WHERE YOU WOULD GO OUT TO, UH, HAVE OTHER PROGRAMING THAT'S NOT NECESSARILY CITY OWNED PROPERTY
. RIGHT? THIS IS LIKE THE SPONTANEOUS CELEBRATIONS AND ALL THOSE WHERE WE HOLD THOSE THINGS. UM. >> I TRY TO THINK OF WHERE IN DISTRICT. THREE WE HAVE SOME OF THOSE AND MAYBE YOU COULD HELP ME OUT IF
YOU GOT ANY OFF THE TOP OF YOUR HEAD BECAUSE I KNOW I'VE BEEN UP HERE ADVOCATING BEFORE MY PREDECESSORS ADVOCATED BEFORE FOR A SENIOR CENTER. UH, DISTRICT THREE DOES NOT HAVE ONE. UM AND OF COURSE, UM, LIKE YOU
MENTIONED ALREADY WITH THE STATISTICS, THE 48% INCREASE OF PEOPLE THAT ARE OVER UH, THE AGE OF 45 THAT'S UH A LOT OF THEM ARE IN DISTRICT THREE AS WELL. UM. I'M JUST TRYING TO THINK OF. >> OTHER SITES THAT MIGHT BE
HELPFUL TO USE OR IF I'M NOT UNLESS THERE ARE MORE THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE OFF THE TOP OF YOUR HEAD THAT YOU CAN THINK OF. UM. >> BECAUSE I'D LOVE TO FIND MORE SITES FOR YOU TO HOLD PROGRAMING. YEAH I I I MEAN I THINK YOUR
DISTRICT IS PARTICULARLY CHALLENGING IS WHAT I WOULD SAY UM HOWEVER WE HAVE BEEN UM DOING SOME UH, NEW WORK THERE TO TRY TO UM, EXPAND WHERE
WE'RE ABLE TO OFFER PROGRAMING AND UH, THANKS TO UM, REP HUNT PUT A $75,000 EARMARK IN THE STATE BUDGET. UM, UH, SO WE ARE WORKING TO
GET PROGRAMING UP AND RUNNING AT THE IRISH PASTORAL CENTER. YEP. UM WE ARE WORKING UM, UH, WITH THE LOWER MILLS LIBRARY TO TRY TO GET SOME PROGRAMING UP AND RUNNING THERE.
UM, KAREEN, WHERE ELSE. YOU SAY YOU SEE. >> ON ON DOLLHOUSE? UM OKAY. AND THEY'RE RUNNING PROGRAMING. THERE AS WELL? YEAH. DOLLHOUSE UM UH, GOT A NEW EXPANDING ENGAGEMENT GRANT LAST
YEAR. UM AND I THINK I THINK WE NOTIFIED PEOPLE YESTERDAY ABOUT EXPANDING ENGAGEMENT GRANTS FOR THIS YEAR SO I CAN SAY THEY'RE GETTING ONE THIS YEAR AS WELL
TO CONTINUE THEIR THEY STARTED UM, PROGRAMING THEIR THREE DAYS A WEEK AGO HOUSE. OKAY. UM AND I FEEL LIKE WE HAVE A COUPLE MORE THINGS THAT WE'RE KIND OF WORKING TO SET UP IN
YOUR AREA BUT IF THERE ARE UM. SPECIFIC SPACES THAT YOU THINK WE SHOULD BE THINKING ABOUT. PLEASE LET US KNOW. DO YOU GO INTO SENIOR HOUSING ITSELF AND OFFER A LOT OF THESE?
I IMAGINE SO, RIGHT. BUT EVEN ONES THAT ARE NOT YOU KNOW, NOT A I'M THINKING OF KEYSTONE I'M THINKING OF OTHER PLAYWRIGHT TO SAY HEY WE CAN DO PROGRAMING IN YOUR COMMUNITY ROOM AND AT YOUR BUILDING OR THINGS LIKE THAT OR
IS THAT WHAT'S THE DIFFICULTY THERE? IT'S A LITTLE BIT CHALLENGING. THERE ARE OVER 100 UM SENIOR HOUSING BUILDINGS IN THE CITY. MHM. UM AND SO WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO
UH AND IN A LOT OF THEM YOU'RE ONLY GOING TO HIT THE PEOPLE IN THAT BUILDING. YOU'RE NOT GOING TO GET. THE FOLKS SURROUNDING. UM SO WE HAVE BEEN TRYING TO FIND THESE KIND OF MORE CENTRALIZED SPACES THAT PEOPLE
CAN COME OUT TO. BUT THEN YOU HAVE A TRANSPORTATION ISSUE. UM, WE HAVEN'T DONE A LOT OF BUILDING, UH, WORK JUST. BECAUSE OF THAT.
UM, I WILL SAY THAT THAT UM WE HAVE STARTED SOME RECENT WORK AT PASCO. UM, AND OUR ATTEMPT IS UH BECAUSE OF UH AN EARMARK WE GOT
FROM REBEL UM, AND OUR OUR GOAL IS TO ENGAGE THOSE FOLKS AND HAVE THEM, UH, KIND OF BRIDGE OVER TO SOME OF THE HOLLAND PROGRAMING THAT WE SOME OF OUR
PROGRAMING AT THE HOLLAND IS WE'RE DOING UM UH IN ENGLISH AND CAPE VERDEAN CREOLE SO UM BUT IT'S BEEN HARD TO DRAW PEOPLE OUT SO WE'RE TRYING TO BUILD SOME TRUST AND KIND OF GET THEM BRIDGED OVER TO
THAT SITE. UM, SO I MEAN I THINK WE'RE THERE'S UH BUT BUT WE DON'T DO A LOT BUT ACTUALLY I'LL ADD ONE OTHER THING. UM, OUR ROLLING GRANTS UM,
WHICH WE JUST STARTED DOING THIS YEAR THEY'RE GRANTS OF UP TO $2,500. ONE OF THE REASONS THAT WE'RE DOING THOSE GRANTS, UM, IS TO
TRY TO HIT IS TO BECAUSE, UM, HOUSING BUILDINGS CAN APPLY FOR THEM AND THEY HAVE TO BE A NONPROFIT OR GO THROUGH A NONPROFIT. IT CAN ALSO BE AN INDIVIDUAL THAT APPLIES UM, BUT UH BUT
WE'RE HOPING TO GET MORE HOUSING BUILDINGS WHO YOU KNOW, WANT TO HOST. UH UM. AN EVENT OR HIRE AN INSTRUCTOR TO COME IN. WE'RE WE'RE TRYING TO REACH
THEM THROUGH THAT AND WE HAVE HAD SOME UH, MANAGEMENT COMPANIES HAVE APPLIED THROUGH THAT FOR LIKE MULTIPLE SITES. UM, IN ADDITION, UH, WE'VE
GIVEN THE LAST THREE YEARS UM WE'VE GIVEN UH, GRANT TO BE UM UH TO THEIR THEY HAVE A NONPROFIT AND. BY THAT I'M FORGETTING IN THE
NAME OF BUT UM UH TO ACTIVATE UM PROGRAMING IN A BUNCH OF THEIR SITES AND THEY'VE BEEN ABLE TO EXPAND THEIR WORK IN THAT AREA EVERY YEAR. GREAT. >> WELL THANK YOU I. WILL CONTINUE TO ADVOCATE FOR THOSE MANY GRANTS TO ANY OF THE
OTHER BUILDINGS AROUND. UM, AND REMIND FOLKS IN THE APARTMENTS THAT THERE'S THINGS THAT THEY CAN APPLY FOR TO TO THE NONPROFIT. SO THANK YOU I APPRECIATE THAT I. >> WAS UNAWARE. UM. >> WITH BUDGET SEASON COMING. UP, UH, YOU KNOW MONEY IS IS
TIGHT, RIGHT? UM, BUT WHAT IS IT THAT, UM IF YOU COULD ADD TO ANYTHING, YOU KNOW, GIVE ME YOUR TOP TWO THINGS IN YOUR WISH LIST. UM. YEAH, SURE.
I MEAN, WE KNOW WE KNOW HOW CITY BUDGET UH, HOW CHALLENGING CITY BUDGET IS THIS YEAR? UM, I WOULD SAY THAT THIS, UM, UH, PROGRAMING HAS BEEN
SOMETHING THAT WE'VE KIND OF CONSISTENTLY BEEN TRYING TO EXPAND. SO I'M GLAD WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THIS TODAY. UM, THAT'S REALLY THAT AREA THAT WE HAVE FOCUSED ON FOR UM
ANY OF THAT UM EXTERNAL FUND AND AND INTERNAL TRYING TO BUILD. OUT UM UH AND THEN YEAH, I MEAN THAT'S.
THERE ARE SO MANY THINGS THAT ARE IMPORTANT. RIGHT, RIGHT. I KNOW IT'S THE HARD PART OF THIS JOB. RIGHT? YEAH. >> PRIORITIZING IT IS LIKE YOU DON'T REALLY YOU HAVE TO BUT YOU DON'T WANT TO. YEAH I MEAN I THINK SO MUCH
OF IT IS IMPORTANT I THINK UM, YOU KNOW, FOR A STRONG UM 81% OF OUR POSITIONS IN A STRONG ARE FRONT FACING LIKE WORKING DIRECTLY WITH OLDER PEOPLE.
WE HAVE 102 POSITIONS 2820 OF WHICH ARE EXTERNALLY FUNDED. UM, AND UH, SO ANY OF THOSE LIKE FRONT FACING POSITIONS ARE.
ALSO UH, YOU KNOW, JUST HELP US GET ALL OF OUR WORK DONE. UNDERSTOOD. >> THANK YOU. UH, APPRECIATE. >> THE TIME. UM, AND THANK YOU. GREAT FOR ALL YOU GUYS DO AS WELL. UH, APPRECIATE YOU FOR BEING HERE. UH, BUT THEY'LL BE. MY QUESTIONS.
THANK YOU CHAIR. THANK YOU COUNCIL FOR SURE. WE'VE BEEN JOINED BY COUNCIL PRESIDENT BREADON COUNCIL LUCIAN. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. UM, AND GOOD MORNING TO EVERYONE. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
I WANT TO THANK YOU SO MUCH, COMMISSIONER SHEA, FOR ALL THAT YOU DO FOR OUR OLDER ADULTS ACROSS THE CITY OF BOSTON. UH, YOU REALLY SHOW UP ALL THE TIME EVEN WHEN I'M NOT SURE THAT YOU'RE GOING TO BE THERE. THERE YOU ARE.
WE WERE IN ROXBURY TOGETHER TWO WEEKS AGO AND JUST REALLY APPRECIATE, UM. I REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR WORK. WE THERE'S SOMEONE WHO OFTEN EMAILS ME AND WHO OFTEN EMAILS YOU TALKING ABOUT THE DISPARATE
NEEDS IN COMMUNITIES OF COLOR FOR OUR OLDER ADULTS WONDERING IF YOU COULD TALK ABOUT WHAT YOU SEE AS SOME OF THE STARK DIFFERENCES BETWEEN, UH, COMMUNITIES OF UH ASIAN COMMUNITIES OF COLOR UM,
COMPARED TO OTHER COMMUNITIES? SURE. >> UM UH I MEAN, I THINK I KNOW WE'RE TALKING ABOUT UH, PROGRAMING TODAY BUT I THINK THAT UH, CERTAINLY ECONOMIC
SECURITY ISSUES ARE ALWAYS UM, IMPORTANT UH, AND A FOCUS AND IN SOME OF THOSE COMMUNITIES AND REALLY HELPING PEOPLE ACCESS PROGRAMS AND BENEFITS TO BE ABLE TO MAKE ENDS MEET AND
STAY IN THE CITY. UM IN ADDITION UM WITH UH PROGRAMING SPECIFICALLY WE HAVE BEEN UM FOCUSED IN TRYING TO
EXPAND UM SOME PROGRAMING OPPORTUNITIES UM, UH BOTH IN ROXBURY AND DORCHESTER. UM THEY DON'T HAVE AS MANY PLACES FOR UM. PEOPLE OR DIDN'T HAVE AS MANY PLACES FOR PEOPLE. >> TO.
COME TO. SO WE REALLY HAVE UM AS AS WE LOOK AT LIKE GAPS ACROSS THE CITY, WE'VE TRIED TO FOCUS SOME OF OUR EXPANDED PROGRAMING AND
ALSO SOME OF OUR GRANT MAKING IN THOSE AREAS UM, WHERE THERE ARE GAPS. SO I WOULD SAY THOSE TWO THINGS ARE UH UM KIND OF FRONT AND CENTER IN MY MIND.
THANK YOU. >> AND I KNOW THAT THE COST SAVING CLINICS ARE HAPPENING NOW ARE THEY ARE PEOPLE COMING OUT OR ARE THEY LIKE WHAT'S WELL. >> IT'S BEEN A LITTLE SNOWY. OKAY. YEAH. UM SO WE WERE UNFORTUNATE TO
HAVE LIKE THE FIRST WEEK OF OF UM. UH THE FIRST WEEK WAS THE FIRST STORM AND THIS WEEK WAS THE SECOND STORM. UM. >> SO UH WHAT UH BUT BUT PEOPLE ARE COMING OUT TO THEM.
UM, UH, WE WE'RE WE'RE TRYING TO GET THEM ALL IN. IT'S NOT THE BEST TIME TO DO COMMUNITY EVENTS. UM, BUT WE'RE TRYING TO GET THEM ALL IN BEFORE APRIL 1ST,
WHICH IS WHEN THE, UM, PROPERTY TAX UM UH. UH. >> DEFERRAL AND UM, EXEMPTIONS ARE DUE. UM, SO THAT'S WHY WE'RE DOING THEM THIS TIME OF YEAR. SO I DO THINK IT'S IMPORTANT UM
UH BUT WE WE CANCELED MONDAY AND TUESDAY. WE'RE IN ROSLINDALE THIS WEEK. WE CANCELED MONDAY AND TUESDAY AND, UM, BUT, UH, RESCHEDULE PEOPLE FOR THE REST OF THE WEEK WHERE THEY'RE THE REST OF THE WEEK.
UM, WE CANCELED TWO OF THE DAYS IN ROXBURY. UM, BUT WE WE ARE ADDING TWO ADDITIONAL DAYS IN ROXBURY, UM, ON MARCH 5TH AND SIXTH. SO I THINK I THINK THAT UM,
WE'RE WE'RE HEARING THAT THEY'RE HELPFUL FOR PEOPLE. WE'RE HEARING FOLKS ARE FOLKS ARE DEFINITELY COMING OUT UM, BUT UH AND IF THEY'RE CANCELING BECAUSE OF THE WEATHER THEN
THEY'RE RESCHEDULING FOR ANOTHER DATE. THANK YOU. AND IT JUST ADD WE'RE PROVIDING TRANSPORTATION TO SO THAT I CAN'T THINK TRANSPORTATION ACCESS HAS BEEN REALLY HELPFUL FOR PEOPLE.
THANK YOU. AND WE HEAR ABOUT THAT FOR FOR EVERYTHING LIKE WHEN IT COMES TO EVENTS AND FIELD TRIPS I APPRECIATE THAT UM, ALONG WITH MY COLLEAGUES REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE INVEST IN PROGRAMING. I THINK WE SAW DURING COVID
SORT OF THE ROLE OF LONELINESS, UM, IN THE LIVES OF OUR SENIORS AND WAS HAPPY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ALLOCATED MONEY DURING ARPA FOR SENIOR PROGRAMING SPECIFICALLY UM AND A BIG FAN
OF UH OF OF THE GRANT MAKING THAT WE DO THAT HELPS US PARTNER WITH ORGANIZATIONS. I KNOW THE YMCA RIGHT NOW CURRENTLY HAS A TARGETED UM, CAMPAIGN AROUND LONELINESS NOT
PARTICULARLY FOR NOT NOT PARTICULARLY AROUND UM JUST FOR SENIORS BUT UM I KNOW THAT CHANGES ARE A BIG COMPONENT OF THAT. YOU ALSO HAVE FRIENDSHIP WORKS THAT ENSURES THAT UH, THERE ARE
PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, GOING OUT TO MEET WITH UM UH TO TO UH JUST HANG WITH SENIORS. UH, WE WERE AT THE UH, VERONICA SMITH IN CENTER IN BRIGHTON AND THERE WERE YOUNG KIDS WITH UH
WITH OUR OLDER ADULTS. UM, SOMETIMES THEY'RE LIKE LITTLE TASKS THAT SENIORS NEED TO GET DONE AND WONDERING IF THERE ARE UM, UH, LIKE EVENTS THAT WE HAVE THAT CAN HELP
SENIORS WITH LIKE, I DON'T KNOW, LIFE TASKS LIKE WILLS OR LIFE PLANNING LIKE AS AS A PART OF SENIOR PROGRAMING DOES THAT HAPPEN AND WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE WAS IT WAS IN PARTNERSHIP. >> WITH. YEAH THAT'S A UM THAT'S A GOOD
. >> QUESTION. AND THERE ARE THERE ARE UM I THINK RESOURCES OUT THERE IN UH AT DIFFERENT TIMES SO I KNOW THAT WE ARE WORKING TO PARTNER
WITH UM MASS NAYLA WHICH IS THE NATIONAL. ELDER LAW ATTORNEY UM UH KIND OF TRADE ASSOCIATION UM TO GET
UH TO UH AND UM. I'M FORGETTING. THEY'RE PARTNERING WITH ANOTHER UM ANOTHER UH, ORGANIZATION THAT I'M FORGETTING THE NAME OF.
SOME OF MY APOLOGIES. UM, BUT THEY'RE HIGHLIGHTING UM ,UH, THEY'RE GOING TO BE COMING OUT LIKE YOU COULD FILL OUT A FORM AND SAY WE WANT AN ELDER LAW ATTORNEY TO COME OUT AND TALK TO OUR GROUP ABOUT X,
Y AND Z. UM, AND SO UM, WE'RE DOING THAT FOR OUR SITES TO SAY UH AND THEY'RE THEY'RE HIGHLIGHTING THAT DURING UM A WHOLE MONTH I
THINK IT'S MAY UM UH WE ALSO UM DO HAVE UH, DIFFERENT FOLKS THAT COME OUT AND UM UH DIFFERENT ELDER LAW ATTORNEYS THAT THEY COME OUT REGULARLY TO
LIKE OUR BRIGHTON SITE. GREAT. UM AND THEN UH, I ALSO. KNOW THAT THE WOMEN'S BAR FOUNDATION UM. ALSO WILL DO UM, FREE UH, KIND
OF WILLS HEALTH CARE PROXIES, UM, UH, LIVING WILLS AND UM, THEY'LL DO THAT. THEY HAVE LIKE A LOW INCOME, UH, KIND OF FORM YOU. CAN FILL OUT. IF YOU NEED SUPPORT WITH THAT. AWESOME. >> IF YOU COULD SEND ME THAT
INFORMATION THAT WOULD BE GREAT. I THINK THAT WOULD BE GREAT TO DO MAYBE AN EVENT AROUND THAT OR TO PARTNER WITH THEM. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE WORK THAT YOU DO AT EACH UH THE ENTIRE TEAM REALLY APPRECIATE YOU. NO FURTHER QUESTIONS. THANK YOU.
UM SO BRIGHTON THANK. >> YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR AND GOOD MORNING. I HOPE YOU GET BETTER. THANK YOU. UM. MANY OF MY COLLEAGUES WOULD
PROBABLY ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS ALREADY, SO I'LL TRY AND SEGWAY OFF IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, JUST ECONOMIC SECURITY. ARE WE LOOKING LIKE HOLISTICALLY AT THINGS LIKE
MASSIVE PROGRAMS AND UH, WAYS TO HELP PEOPLE WITH UH FUEL ASSISTANCE AND UM IT'S BEEN A LONG AND VERY COLD WINTER. UM, I KNOW OUR FUEL BILLS HAVE
GONE UP A LOT UM, JUST IN TERMS OF HELP WITH THOSE SORT OF THINGS. WHERE ARE WE AT? YEAH. >> I MEAN. UTILITIES HEAT, UM, IS A REAL CHALLENGE FOR SOMEONE LIVING ON A BUDGET.
I WILL SAY THAT WE ARE, UH, VERY CLOSE FRIENDS WITH OUR ABCD PARTNERS. UM, AND UH, THEY HAVE, UH, BEEN SO INCREDIBLY HELPFUL THIS YEAR AS WE'VE CALLED THEM WITH
EMERGENCY CASES. UM, AND WE ALSO. UM. >> UH WE DO PLAY A PARTNERSHIP ROLE WITH ABCD RITE AID. UH, THERE'S A LOT OF DOCUMENTS
THAT SOMEONE NEEDS TO, UH, COLLECT IN ORDER TO APPLY FOR FUEL ASSISTANCE AND, UM AND SO WE SUPPORT ABCD IN HELPING OLDER ADULTS WHO ARE HAVING
TROUBLE KIND OF BE, YOU KNOW, NAVIGATING THE SYSTEM AND GETTING EVERYTHING TOGETHER. WE, UH, SUPPORT THEM WITH UH, THAT APPLICATION. UM, BUT FUEL ASSISTANCE ONLY
TAKES YOU SO FAR. UM, WE TRY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE GETTING UM, UH, PEOPLE UH, ALL OF OUR OLDER ADULTS ONTO THAT UM, UTILITY SHUT OFF PROGRAM.
UM, AND DO OUR BEST TO HELP THEM, UH, NAVIGATE AND CREATE, UM, PAYMENT PLANS WITH THE DIFFERENT UTILITY COMPANIES IF THEY BUILD UP HIGH BALANCES.
UM, WE ALSO, UM, ARE ALWAYS, UH, TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHO HAS ADDITIONAL OIL. RIGHT? IT'S EASY TO RUN THROUGH YOUR FUEL ASSISTANCE MONEY. I THINK IT'S ONLY ABOUT A TANK RIGHT NOW.
UM, IF IT'S OIL, UM, AND UH, SO WE'RE WE TRY AND HELP PEOPLE UM, UH, GET SUPPORT THROUGH OTHER UH, RESOURCES IF THEY'RE
AVAILABLE. UM UM AND THEN THE OTHER THE OTHER THING THAT I'M HEARING ABOUT IS JUST AS FOLKS AGE VERY OFTEN WE WE THINK THE IDEAL
WOULD BE TO AGE IN PLACE BUT SOMETIMES THAT'S ACTUALLY VERY ISOLATING. I KNOW UH, ORGANIZATIONS LIKE TWO LIFE ARE REALLY ADDRESSING THAT VERY AS BEST THEY CAN AND AS AGGRESSIVELY AS THEY CAN UM
,IN TERMS OF JUST SUPPORTING FOLKS WHO ARE MAYBE IN THAT YOUNGER OR OLDER AGE OLDER. AND WHAT IS THEIR TRAJECTORY IN
TERMS OF OF HOW. THEY I WAS JUST INCREASING THE YEAR OF THE UH OF GETTING OLDER
AGE UM. WE GOT TO HAVE THAT POLICY OR WORKING ON WHAT KIND OF. SUBSPECIALTIES SOME
INDEPENDENTLY OF. US HAVE ALL THE. SOME THINGS THAT FALL APART. SORRY TO HAVE TO BE QUITE QUITE THE FOCUS ON TOP OR THE BOTTOM
ONE OUT. OF. EACH. YOU KNOW YOU MIGHT WANT TO.
TAKE WITH US. UM YEAH. I DON'T THINK ANY OF IT WAS JUST YOURS I THINK UH.
THEY WORK FOR THE FIRST FIVE AND THAT'S YEAH. UH BUT I DEFINITELY WAS WORKING ON THAT. WE NEED THAT FOR US.
YEAH, YEAH. THAT WOULD BE DOWN IN THAT. UM. YEAH. SO WE HAD THIS PLACE UM THAT WAS UH YOU KNOW, ACTUALLY A LOT
OF. UP. US BACK TURNED OUT AN AWFUL LOT OF SACRIFICES.
AT THE HIGHEST RATE. UH. ACROSS THE NATION. UH. SO YOU HAVE RIGHT.
THERE. SO, UM, WE.
WILL HAVE SOLVED THIS. PATIENT ISSUES THAT YOU GOTTA GO THROUGH. I LIKE TO HAVE WORD FOR ANY OF THEM.
ALL I SEE NOW THE, UH. JUST SO IT'S ALL OFFICIAL AND EVERYTHING YOU SAY WILL MATTER
. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. UH, SO REALLY, HOW DO WE SUPPORT ELDERS TO THINK ABOUT WHAT THEIR HOUSING SITUATION IS? YOU KNOW, GOING FIVE, TEN YEARS
OUT BECAUSE WHAT WE END UP HAVING IS LIKE THESE CRISIS SITUATIONS WHERE SOMETIMES THEY END UP IN SHELTERS, SOMETIMES THEY END UP UH, IN NOT IDEAL
SITUATIONS AND SOMETIMES THEY END UP IN SITUATIONS WHERE THEY COST A LOT OF MONEY BUT THEY CAN SUSTAIN IT OVER THE LONG TERM. SO I'M JUST WONDERING WHAT WE'RE THINKING ABOUT GENERALLY AND IN BIG BIG SORT OF UM BIG
PICTURE SORT OF POLICY IN THAT AREA. SURE, SURE. I MEAN THAT'S UM SUCH AN IMPORTANT TOPIC, RIGHT? WE ALL NEED UH, THE RIGHT TYPE
OF HOUSING AS WE AGE AND I THINK THAT UM, UH, WE'RE PARTICULARLY CHALLENGED IN BOSTON, UM, GIVEN OUR OLD HOUSING STOCK AND THE
ACCESSIBILITY OF THAT HOUSING STOCK. UM UH, SO UM, UH, I HAVE BEEN MEETING WITH UM OR WE HAVE BEEN MEETING WITH UM, THE MAYOR'S
OFFICE OF HOUSING REALLY TO THINK THROUGH LIKE WHAT ARE THE, UH WHAT ARE THE BIG POLICY ISSUES? HOW DO WE PRIORITIZE THOSE? UM, WHAT IS THAT, UM, PLAN WHAT
IS LIKE THE HOUSING STRATEGY SPECIFICALLY AROUND OLDER PEOPLE AND PEOPLE AS THEY AGE? UM, AND SO, UH, YOU KNOW, I APPRECIATE CHIEF DILLON AND HER
TEAM AND, UM, IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE'RE UH I FEEL LIKE WE WE WORK TOGETHER VERY CLOSELY, UM, ALL THE TIME. RIGHT. WE WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH THE,
UM, AROUND CONSTITUENT SERVICES . UM, WE WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH THE HOME CENTER AND WE ACTUALLY ,UM, UH, RECENTLY UM, STARTED
TO ROLL OUT A PILOT WITH THE HOME CENTER AROUND KIND OF EDUCATION AROUND UH, YOU KNOW, I THINK A LOT OF THIS IS ALSO EDUCATION, RIGHT? WHAT AM I GOING TO NEED AS I AGE?
HOW DO I THINK ABOUT MY HOUSE AS I AGE ALL OF THOSE THINGS. SO WE RECENTLY STARTED TO ROLL OUT UM, SOME UH, EDUCATIONAL WORKSHOPS AROUND KIND OF AGING IN YOUR HOME, UM, WITH THE
MAYOR'S OFFICE OF HOUSING BUT THERE'S THERE'S UH, DEFINITELY MORE WORK TO TO BE DONE. THANK YOU. >> HOW ARE YOU DOING FOR TIME? PLENTY. GO AHEAD. UM. YOU HAVE PLENTY OF TIME TO DO YOUR TIME. UM.
AND THEN GIVEN ALL THIS SNOW THIS AROUND THE PLACE, I KNOW THERE'S CONVERSATIONS AMONG MY COLLEAGUES ABOUT IN WAYS TO HELP SUPPORT OUR ELDERS. UH, IT IS A HUGE BURDEN FOR
FOLKS WHO MAY NOT HAVE THE MOBILITY TO GET OUT AND SHOVEL OR, UM, IS THERE ANY CONSIDERATION OR TALK ABOUT EVEN VOLUNTEER PROGRAMS THAT
MIGHT HELP ELDERS? YOU KNOW, IT'S SO UNPREDICTABLE . IT'S NOT LIKE WE NEED UH, A WORKFORCE THAT ARE THERE 24 SEVEN YEAR ROUND BUT TO HAVE UM
MAYBE A VOLUNTEER CORPS OR SOMEONE THAT WOULD AND THE DIFFERENT NEIGHBORHOODS HAVE DIFFERENT CHALLENGES BUT THINKING ABOUT SNOW REMOVAL FOR FOR OUR ELDERS AND OUR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES.
YEAH. >> I MEAN PARTICULARLY CHALLENGING AND ESPECIALLY THIS YEAR. RIGHT. WE'RE IT'S NOT A NOT A GOOD YEAR FOR SNOW. I REALLY ENJOYED THE LAST FEW
YEARS. UM UH THERE HAVE BEEN UM A HANDFUL I WOULD SAY OF VOLUNTEER PROGRAMS THAT HAVE STARTED SINCE I UM STARTED THIS
JOB 15 YEARS AGO AND THEY ALL HAVE UH SHUT DOWN WITHIN A YEAR OR TWO BECAUSE THE DEMAND HAS BEEN SO MUCH HIGHER THAN THE VOLUNTEER CAPACITY.
AND IT ALSO WAS HARD TO MAINTAIN THAT VOLUNTEER CAPACITY OVER A PERIOD OF TIME. SO OVER MULTIPLE STORMS UM, I
IT IS SUCH AN IMPORTANT ISSUE AND I WISH THAT I HAD A SOLUTION TO IT. UM BUT I HAVE NOT SEEN A WORKABLE SOLUTION TO IT THAT THAT FOLKS HAVE BEEN ABLE TO
PULL TOGETHER. UM, I THINK THAT THERE'S SOMETHING TO BE SAID FOR UM, REALLY UH, TRYING TO STRENGTHEN
NEIGHBORHOODS UM, BECAUSE I THINK THAT NEEDS TO BE PART OF THE SOLUTION. LIKE I APPRECIATE UM THE MAYORS LIKE BLOCK GRANTS AND THE DIFFERENT STRATEGIES TO HELP STRENGTHEN NEIGHBORHOODS AND
ALL THAT YOU DO ON COUNCIL AS WELL. UM, UH, BECAUSE I THINK THAT UM THAT TYPE OF NEIGHBOR HELPING NEIGHBOR NEEDS TO BE PART
OF THE SOLUTION. UM UH SO UM HAPPY DAY HAPPY DAY. HEAR MORE THOUGHTS AND IDEAS ABOUT THAT. BUT IT IS IT'S A REALLY TOUGH
IT'S A TOUGH UM CHALLENGE AND I DON'T KNOW HOW TO SOLVE IT. YEAH. >> UM. I THINK MY COLLEAGUES HAVE TOUCHED ON A LOT OF THE THINGS. UM, THEN THE OTHER ISSUE I THINK WE'VE TALKED WE TALK
ABOUT THIS A LOT IS JUST THE ISSUE BUT SCAMS AND WE WORKING WITH UM THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND IN TERMS OF PROGRAMING THINKING ABOUT HOW TO UM
OF ELDERS EVEN THE VERY VERY SOPHISTICATED LIKE IT'S I ALWAYS EVEN MYSELF I'M YOU KNOW THIS TO FORM SOME OF THESE TALKING TO ME AND IT'S VERY CONVINCING. SO UM HOW DO WE PREPARE OUR
ELDERS FOR UH, AVOIDING SCAMS? SURE, SURE WE DID. UM WE DID, UH, CHAT ABOUT THIS A LITTLE SO WE ACTUALLY HAVE COUNCILOR MURPHY HAS A, UM YOU. KNOW, COME ON. MARCH A HEARING ON MARCH 9TH UM, THAT'S FOCUSED ON ELDER
SCAMS. UM, BUT WE DO PARTNER WITH THE POLICE. UM, AND THEY RECENTLY HAVE STARTED SENDING US, UM, SCAM ALERTS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO GET
OUT THERE IN THE COMMUNITY. UM, I THINK THIS IS AN AREA WHERE WE, UM, COULD AND SHOULD DO MORE BECAUSE YOU'RE RIGHT, THEY'RE VERY CREATIVE. THEY KEEP CHANGING WHAT THEY'RE DOING.
THEY LOOK SO REAL. UM, AND UNLESS YOU CAN PREVENT IT. UM. >> IN THE FIRST PLACE IT'S VERY HARD TO, UM IF IT'S ALREADY HAPPENED, IT'S VERY HARD TO,
UH, GET MONEY BACK OR DO ANYTHING LIKE THAT. UM. >> SO, UM, LOTS MORE WORK NEEDED. BUT WE DO, UM, COLLABORATE WITH THE POLICE. THEY'RE GREAT COMING OUT AND
DOING UM, PRESENTATIONS IN UM IN DIFFERENT HOUSING BUILDINGS . I ALSO HAVE BEEN AT NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS WHERE THEY KIND OF GIVE A LITTLE SCAM EDUCATION. UM AND UM THEY'RE THEY'RE GREAT
AND IMPORTANT PARTNERS OF OURS . VERY GOOD. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. THANK YOU. >> UM, SO A FEW THINGS I HEARD THAT WERE EXCITING, BUT WHEN COUNCILOR FITZGERALD SPOKE
ABOUT, YOU KNOW, ADVOCATING FOR. D3, YOU. >> MENTIONED TWO PLACES. SO MY MOM SHE'S 79. SHE'S FINALLY ACCEPTING THAT SHE'S A SENIOR. UM, BUT SHE DID. START GOING TO UM THE CHESS
CLUB AT THE LIBRARY BECAUSE THAT WAS ONE OF THE THINGS WE TALKED TO. UM, BUT DAVID IS THAT THEN THEY LENT THEIR CHESS BOARDS TO LOWER MILLS, SO NOW SHE'S TRAVELING TO LOWER MILLS.
BUT JUST THAT CONVERSATION ABOUT HOW DO WE MAKE SURE SOMETHING AS SIMPLE AS JUST MAKING SURE. >> ALL LIBRARIES. >> HAVE CHESS BOARDS ARE AND THEN ALSO UM I NOTICED IN THE KITCHEN THE OTHER DAY SHE HAS THE IRISH PASTORAL CALENDAR OUT THERE.
SO IT IS TRUE LIKE JUST MAKING THAT CONNECTION AND GETTING PEOPLE TO FEEL COMFORTABLE. AND YOU MENTIONED EDDIE HOW THERE IS MORE OF A SUPPORT FOR THE SOCIAL MEDIA OUTREACH BECAUSE YOU KNOW, THE LIBRARY
SAID THAT THEY NOW GIVE SUPPORT TO EACH BRANCH AND I HAVE NOTICED ACTUALLY BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN I'VE BEEN SCREENSHOTTING THEM AND SENDING TO ANDREW IN MY OFFICE TO ADD TO THE CALENDAR THAT I'M SEEING MORE EVENTS POP UP.
SO IF I'M SEEING THEM IT'S LIKE YOU AND OBVIOUSLY SENIORS AREN'T ALWAYS ON SOCIAL MEDIA BUT ARE WE LIKE PUTTING THAT INTO LIKE A STAFF POSITION OR SOMEONE'S EXPECTATION TO KIND
OF HELP SUPPORT BECAUSE IF IT COULD YOU COULD SPEND ALL DAY TRYING. >> TO MAKE SURE YOU'RE. KEEPING UP WITH YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA. SO HOW ARE WE MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE SUPPORTING SOMEONE WHO'S EXPECTED TO GET IT OUT IN YOUR DEPARTMENT BUT ALSO ED STRONG
AND. YOU KNOW, UM, SO OUR SPECIFIC POSITIONS THAT WOULD FOCUS ON THAT WOULD BE THE PROGRAM SUPERVISOR WHICH IS THE SECONDARY SUPERVISOR ROLE.
UM AT OUR COMMUNITY CENTER. SO THE DIRECTOR THEN THE PROGRAM SO BUT ALSO THE STAFF ASSISTANT UM I WOULD SAY YOU KNOW, IT VARIES DEPENDING UPON
UM THE STAFF OR SOMETIMES WHAT THEY'RE HOW COMFORTABLE THEY ARE USING UM, YOU KNOW, A COMPUTER SO YOU COULD SEE A YOUTH WORKER OR SOMEBODY ELSE, YOU KNOW, ASSISTING IN THOSE MATTERS.
BUT UM, OBVIOUSLY WHEN THEY'RE PUTTING THIS INFORMATION OUT THEY ARE IN COORDINATION WITH OUR PIO SANDY HOLDEN AS WELL AS UM, HER STAFF AND YOU KNOW, THEY COORDINATE TOGETHER TO
REVIEW THESE AS WELL AS TO PUSH THEM THROUGH NOT ONLY LIKE THE MAIN UH, LOCATION BUT THE MORE YOU KNOW THE COMMUNITY BULLETIN BOARDS AS YOU ALL ARE WELL AWARE, THOSE ARE VERY ACTIVE AND MOST COMMUNITIES POSTING A
VARIETY OF UH, YOU KNOW, INFORMATION WE TRY TO ENSURE THAT THAT'S INCLUDED. UM, IT IS A PILOT PROGRAM. THAT'S WHAT I JUST WANTED OUT THERE BECAUSE THAT IS KIND OF LIKE THE FIRST TIME WHERE WE'RE DECENTRALIZING OUR HOLD
ON ON THOSE THINGS. UM, AND WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO CONTINUING TO EXPAND IT TO TO EVERY SITE. UM, SO NOT ALL SITES HAVE THAT AT THE AT THIS TIME WE DO
OBVIOUSLY HAVE THE PERFECT MIND PLATFORM SYSTEM WHICH CAN IF YOU ARE SIGNED UP UM AND YOU USE PARTICULAR PROGRAMS YOU WOULD BE INCLUDED IN THE EMAIL LIST EITHER GENERALLY OR
SPECIFIED. WE SEND INFORMATION THROUGH THAT AS WELL DIRECTLY TO THEIR EMAILS. UM SO THERE'S A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT AND THEN THERE'S THE OLD FASHIONED YOU KNOW BULLETIN BOARDS. UM YOU KNOW I THINK DOWN THE
CATHOLIC COMMUNITY CENTER, YOU KNOW, VERY ACTIVE SENIOR POPULATION DOWN THERE DOING A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT UM, ACTIVITIES AND THERE IS A CORKBOARD ALMOST AS LONG AS
THIS ROOM I FEEL LIKE IT IT HAS A VARIETY OF, UH, DIFFERENT INFORMATION THAT I SEE, YOU KNOW, A TON OF ENGAGEMENT ON. SO WE TRY IT, YOU KNOW, ALL DIFFERENT LEVELS AND OBVIOUSLY WE WORK VERY CLOSELY THE ON
COMMISSION SO YOU KNOW ANY MATERIALS THAT WE CAN YOU KNOW SHARE AND AND VICE VERSA WE WE DO THAT REGULARLY AND WE'RE CURRENTLY WORKING WITH THEM AND OTHERS TO LOOK AT OTHER SPACE WITHIN OUR FACILITIES AS WELL
TO FURTHER EXPAND OUR PROGRAMMATIC REACH TO THESE POPULATIONS. ONE OF MY TO DO LIST I'M ACTUALLY RUNNING THROUGH THAT AND TAKE A LOOK WORKING WITH THAT ONE ON THAT. SO UM YEAH, WE'RE TRYING EVERYTHING FROM YOU KNOW, FACE
TO FACE TO SOCIAL MEDIA. AND IT SEEMS LIKE YOU'RE ALSO COLLECTING THE DATA TO KIND OF THEN REFLECT WAS IT SUCCESSFUL? YEAH. >> UM, YOU KNOW, WE JUST BROUGHT UH, CORTNEY MOORE WHO HAS BEEN WITH THE CITY FOR
QUITE SOME TIME, UM, IS HELPING BECAUSE I HAVE DEVELOPED DASHBOARDS AS WELL AS COLLECTING THE INFORMATION THAT WAS ON PERFECT MIND. UM, LIKE ANY PLATFORM ESPECIALLY ONE THAT WAS ROLLED
OUT RIGHT AT THE BEGINNING OF COVID AND THERE WAS A LOT OF CLEANUP AND BUGS AND THINGS LIKE THAT THAT WE HAD TO WORK THROUGH UM AND TRAINING AND WE FEEL PRETTY COMFORTABLE WITH THAT. UM, WE'RE TAKING THAT
INFORMATION NOW AND AS YOU CAN SEE FROM WHAT I REPORTED TODAY WE ARE TRACKING INCREASES UM INCREASES DECREASES AND JUST REGULAR ENGAGEMENT AT EVERY LEVEL SO THAT WE CAN IMPROVE
UM, NOT. ONLY IN SENIORS BUT. IN EVERYONE. AWESOME. >> ALSO WHAT IS EXPECTED OF OUR COMMUNITY CENTERS TO PROVIDE SENIOR PROGRAMING?
I KNOW OUR STANDALONE OBVIOUSLY THEY'RE ONLY FOCUSED ON SENIOR PROGRAMING BUT IT SEEMS TO ME AS AN AT LARGE CONSORTIUM ALL OVER THE YOU KNOW THE COMMUNITY CENTERS SOME SEEM TO
DO MORE OR SOME I JUST DON'T SEE AN INVITE AND I MIGHT MISS IT BUT IT'S AND IT ALSO SEEMS LIKE WELL IF THEY'VE DONE IT IN THE PAST THEY KIND OF CONTINUE MAYBE TO DO LIKE YOU KNOW SAINT PATRICK'S DAY DINNER OR JUST A
COUPLE THINGS A YEAR. MHM. AND I I'VE SHARED THIS STORY BEFORE WHERE YOU KNOW WHEN I WHEN THE MURPHY SCHOOL FIRST OPENED YOU KNOW WE USED TO HAVE MY GRANDMOTHER WOULD BE I'D BE
IN KINDERGARTEN BUT SHE'D BE IN THE SENIOR CENTER AND YOU KNOW YEARS LATER WHEN THEY EXPANDED THE KID AID THEY TOOK AWAY THE SENIOR ROOM SO THERE WAS NO MORE LIKE SPECIFIC SENIOR PROGRAMING AND WE'VE SEEN THAT AT OTHER SITES ACROSS THE CITY
WHERE. LIKE WHAT. WHAT WHAT BECAUSE THEY PROVIDE SWIM LESSONS. WE SEEM TO FOCUS DEFINITELY AND WE SHOULD ON OUR YOUTH. AND MAKING SURE OUR COMMUNITY CENTERS ARE OFFERING, YOU KNOW,
PROGRAMING TO OUR YOUTH ABOUT WHAT IS EXPECTED FOR EACH COMMUNITY CENTER TO PROVIDE FOR OUR SENIORS. YEAH. >> UM I WOULD SAY DEFINITELY AND HISTORICALLY OUR FOCUS HAS BEEN ON THE YOU KNOW, THE USE
POPULATION AFTER SCHOOL TARGETING YOU KNOW, THOSE INDIVIDUALS UM, MORE SO THAN ANY OTHER POPULATION IN THE HISTORY A BUSY LIFE BUT THROUGH UH THE LEADERSHIP
OF COMMISSIONER RIVERA AS WELL AS UM MAYOR RULE THERE'S THERE'S BEEN A HUGE PUSH UH, TO, YOU KNOW, TARGET THESE DEMOGRAPHICS AT THE PARTICULAR TIME THAT THEY WOULD ENGAGE US.
UM, AND SO WE ARE CURRENTLY TRYING TO EXPAND PROGRAMING IN GENERAL AND OBVIOUSLY I THINK UM THERE'S COST ASSOCIATED WITH THAT AS WELL AND WE'RE TRYING TO BALANCE IN BETWEEN YOU KNOW
,WHERE WE'RE SEEING THE HIGHEST DEMAND AS WELL AS YOU KNOW WHAT OUR BEING EQUITABLE AND MAKING SURE THAT OUR RESOURCES ARE DISTRIBUTED EVENLY THROUGHOUT, YOU KNOW, OR AS BEST AS POSSIBLE THROUGHOUT
UM THROUGHOUT OUR NETWORK. UH, THERE'S ANOTHER DEMOGRAPHIC HERE IS LIKE ALSO TODDLERS YOU KNOW, THEY WEREN'T NECESSARILY UM AND IT SEEMS THAT SENIORS AND TODDLERS ENGAGE OUR OUR
CENTERS AT A VERY SIMILAR TIME FRAME. AND SO WHAT WE'RE ASKING OF OUR STAFF RIGHT NOW, UM, ALONG WITH MAKING NECESSARY STAFF ADJUSTMENTS, UM, YOU KNOW, IN
THE MORNINGS YOU YOU YOU TYPICALLY SEE MORE BUILDING YOU KNOW, BUILDING STAFF GETTING THE BUILDING PREPARED, KIND OF HAVING A LIGHTER PROGRAMMATIC UM STAFFING SITUATION JUST BECAUSE THE
ENGAGEMENT AT THAT TIME WE'RE NOW TRANSITIONING TO EVENLY DISTRIBUTE THAT SO THAT WE HAVE PEOPLE IN PLACE WHETHER IT'S THE YOUTH WORKERS IN THE ONE NINE TIME WE'RE ASKING FOR AN EXPANSION IN ELDERLY SERVICE WORKERS. UM, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE
BUDGET ASKS THAT YOU ALL WILL SEE UM, TO BE IN THAT IN THAT TIME FRAME. SO I YOU KNOW, WE REALLY LOOK AT THE WINDOW UM MOST OF THE SITES ARE OPEN AT EIGHT UM SOME ARE OPEN AS EARLY AS SIX UM
FROM LIKE THAT EIGHT TO LIKE 230 PERIOD IS REALLY WHERE WE'RE TRYING TO OFFER AS MANY SERVICES WHETHER WE'RE PARTNERING WITH SENIOR ADVOCATES OR IF WE'RE WORKING, YOU KNOW, UM ON SPECIALIZED PROGRAMS.
BUT YES, I THINK THE FOUNDATION OF IT CAME FROM PARTICULAR EVENTS AND NOW WE'RE WORKING TO FURTHER EXPAND WHAT WE'RE WHAT WE'RE DOING. WELL, THERE ARE SOME LOCATIONS
THAT ARE BETTER SUITED AND HAVE A MORE UM I GUESS HISTORIC RELATIONSHIP. >> WITH THOSE. >> YOU KNOW, EVEN NOW EVEN IF IT'S LIKE A YOU KNOW, YOU'LL SEE LIKE UM BURGER AND MILDRED ARE TWO SITES THAT DO VERY WELL WITH IT.
THERE ARE OTHER LOCATIONS THAT DON'T HAVE THAT SPACE THAT YOU REFER TO THAT WE WOULD WORK WITH OUR COLLEAGUES THAT THE ACCESS TO UM ENCOURAGE IT BUT THERE ARE CERTAIN LIMITATIONS AT DIFFERENT FACILITIES LIKE
THAT. UM BUT THE STANDALONE FACILITY WE'RE REALLY PUSHING UM ESPECIALLY THIS YEAR AND HAVING FURTHER CONVERSATIONS ABOUT TODDLER TIME AND SENIOR TIME
AND REALLY TRYING TO GET THEM TO ENGAGE BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT EMPTY BUILDINGS. YOU KNOW, THE WHOLE POINT OF THE MONEY THAT WE'RE GETTING BROUGHT IN FOR PROGRAMMATIC PIECES OF STAFF IS TO TRY TO ENGAGE. SO IT'S A COMBINATION OF OUR
OUTREACH, OUR TRANSITION TO A FULL DAY, UM, AND NOT JUST ONE PARTICULAR SECTION AND THEN YOU KNOW, GETTING THE NECESSARY RESOURCES THERE. WE WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN ABLE TO HAVE ALL THE INCREASES THAT YOU
KNOW, I DISCUSSED IN MY INTRO BUT WITHOUT THE PARTNERSHIP OF BEING STRONG UM, IT'S YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TWO SPECIFIC SITES THAT FOCUS ON THAT AND THEN WE HAVE 30 SITES THAT ARE
NOW OFFERING I KNOW AND THERE'S 35 LOCATIONS SO THERE'S A FEW MORE THAT WE NEED TO INCORPORATE. BUT AT THE SAME TIME, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT WE DON'T WANT JUST 1 OR 2 PER WE WANT TO
SEE IT FULLY ROLLED OUT. AND THAT. LIKE I SAID IT'S SOME OF IT'S STAFFING, YOU KNOW, MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE THEM EVENLY DISTRIBUTED AS WELL AS KIND OF MAKING SURE WE HAVE THE
RESOURCES PROGRAMMATICALLY TO CONTINUE THAT OUTREACH. WHEN YOU MENTIONED LIKE THE 607 HOURS OF EXPANDED TIME, DO WE HAVE A HEAT. MAP THAT SHOWS. I COULD ASK UM.
WHERE WE SEE INCREASES? AND THEN YOU ALSO MENTIONED HOW AND I KNOW IT'S TRUE THAT CERTAIN SITES EITHER HISTORICALLY OR JUST ARE WELL ATTENDED. SO IT SEEMS TO ME THAT
OFTENTIMES THAT'S WHERE EXPANSION HAPPEN BECAUSE WE SEE THAT IT'S WELL ATTENDED AND IT'S ADVOCATED FOR. BUT YOU KNOW, THE WHOLE REASON FOR THIS HEARING ALSO IS THE SITES THAT MAY NOT BE WELL
ATTENDED LIKE WHAT IS STOPPING THEM BECAUSE WE KNOW SENIORS LIVE IN EVERY NEIGHBORHOOD ACROSS THE CITY. SO HOW WILL WE AND NOT JUST TO BE SAFE JUST GENERALLY AND EAT STRONG LIKE HOW ARE WE MAKING
SURE THAT WE'RE USING THAT DATA TO SAY LIKE HEY MAYBE YOU KNOW IT'S NOT WELL ATTENDED IN MATTAPAN OR ROXBURY UH, COMPARED TO OTHER NEIGHBORHOODS BUT THEN WHAT CAN WE DO? IS IT TRANSPORTATION?
IS IT YOU KNOW, LANGUAGE ACCESS SO THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE WE ARE PROVIDING IT ACROSS THE CITY EQUITABLY? YEAH. >> I WOULD UM YOU KNOW, I CAN
DEFINITELY LOOK INTO TRYING TO GET THAT THAT HEAT MAP. I THINK THERE ARE I GUESS YOU KNOW THOSE MYSTERIES AS TO WHY SOME ONE LOCATION IS DOING BETTER THAN THE OTHER. UM, AND I THINK IT'S A VARIETY
OF REASONS UM, THERE BUT I THINK THE INTENTION FOR BCC WIFE IS TO FIGURE WHAT LIKE I SAID TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WHAT THOSE ARE AND TO TRY TO GET THE NECESSARY SUPPORT THERE WHETHER
IT IS A DEDICATED STAFF OR TO THAT POPULATION AND OR YOU KNOW, PROGRAM AND THAT THEY WANT TO SEE AND DELIVER TO THEM AND YOU KNOW, THE LANGUAGE THAT THEY SPEAK OR UM.
LIKE ONE EXAMPLE UM, DAVID LEONARD MENTIONED THAT THE WEST ROXBURY LIBRARY GOT A FULL TIME AGED YOUNG STAFFER. HOW MANY ARE SIGNED TO LIBRARIES AND ARE THEY ONLY IN
WEST ROXBURY? YEAH, IT'S IT'S ACTUALLY NOT OUR STAFFER. IT'S IT'S A NEW LIBRARY POSITION THAT THEY CREATED LAST . YEAR SO IT'S IN THERE.
MAYBE THEY HAVE AN AIDE STRONG LIBRARIAN SO IT'S A IT'S UH YOU KNOW HOW THEY HAVE YOUTH LIBRARIANS. THIS WAS THEIR FIRST LIBRARIAN THAT WAS SPECIFICALLY FOCUSED ON OLDER PEOPLE.
AND SO THAT PERSON ISABELLA WHO DOES A GREAT JOB IS UM RUNNING PROGRAMING THERE AND SO SHE'S. FULL TIME SO THERE'S ONE AND THERE'S. I BELIEVE SO. IN FULL TIME SHE'S NOT ROTATING
TO ALL OF THE BRANCHES NOW UM. ,I. >> YOU KNOW. I'M NOT 100%. NOT THAT IF SHE'S LISTENING I KNOW SHE CAN'T DO. THE JOB AT 20 PEOPLE BUT LIKE HOW DO WE MAKE SURE BECAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE THAT'S WORKING RIGHT
? SO IF IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S WORKING BECAUSE LIKE WE SAID, IT'S NOT JUST. COMMUNITY CENTERS WHERE OUR SENIORS GO THEY. >> GO TO OUR LIBRARIES FOR AS YOU SEE MR AND MRS. FLYNN THEY'RE OFTEN LIKE THEY GO TO THE LIBRARIES ALSO. FOR SENIOR SUPPORT.
YEAH. >> AND THAT'S WHY WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO PARTNER WITH LIBRARIES LIKE THE NEW UM PROGRAMS THAT WE'RE GETTING UP AND RUNNING AT THE COMMON SQUARE LIBRARY.
UM, I THINK UH AND I HAVE NOT HEARD AN UPDATE ON UM, KIND OF HOW THE LIBRARY IS THINKING ABOUT UH, THEIR STRONG
LIBRARIAN AND KIND OF UH UM SO SO I DON'T WANT TO SPEAK OUT OF TURN. I FEEL LIKE I HAVEN'T HAD AN UPDATE. I HAVEN'T HEARD THEIR NEW THINKING IN LIKE THE LAST YEAR AND A HALF OR SO SO THEY COULD
SHE COULD BE DOING MORE THAN JUST WEST ROXBURY. UM UH BUT UM BUT I DO THINK THAT LIBRARIES ARE PLACES THAT OLDER ADULTS LIKE TO GO.
THEY FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH THEM. THERE'S NO LIKE STIGMA AROUND LIBRARY. >> THERE'S LIKE BOOKS THAT THEY READ NOT IPADS. YEAH. AND SO UM AND UH THEY'RE USED
TO GOING THERE RIGHT. THEY HAVE OVER THE COURSE OF THEIR LIVES A LOT OF THEM. SO UM SO I THINK THEY ARE SIMILAR TO BCF WE'VE BEEN PUTTING EFFORT INTO FIGURING
OUT LIKE WHAT IS THAT PARTNERSHIP AND AND I THINK ALSO SIMILAR TO BCF UM DIFFERENT LIBRARIES ARE DIFFERENT. UM I WILL SAY THAT ALL OF THE
LIBRARIES UM WENT THROUGH A TRAINING LAST YEAR WHERE THEY ARE ALL NOW CERTIFIED AGE AND DEMENTIA FRIENDLY LIBRARIES. UM, SO THEY THEY GET A CERTIFICATION THROUGH OUR TEAM
AND THEY HAVE ONGOING UM TRAINING. SO THAT'S UM THAT'S BEEN A NICE PARTNERSHIP FOR US. THAT'S GOOD. >> TWO MORE THINGS. UM KIND OF SHOUT OUT ONE IT WAS BROUGHT UP ALREADY BUT I DO
JUST WANT TO SHOUT OUT THE COMMUNITY POLICE ALMOST ALL OF THE FUN WONDERFUL EVENTS THAT I GO TO ACROSS THE CITY. THEY ARE EITHER SUPPORTED OR EVEN ORGANIZED BY OUR COMMUNITY POLICING AND ALL THE DIFFERENT
DISTRICTS. SO SHOUT OUT TO SUPERINTENDENT CHEN AND HIS TEAM WHO I DO BELIEVE JUST DO A GREAT JOB WITH OUR SENIORS AND MANY OF THE NEIGHBORHOODS YOU SEE THEY JUST HAVE A REALLY
STRONG CONNECTION LIKE IN CHINATOWN IN CHARLESTOWN THEY JUST REALLY LOVE AND SO LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING THEIR COMMUNITY POLICE WHICH IS I THINK ONE OF THE REASONS YOU KNOW, OUR COMMUNITY POLICING IS
JUST LIKE AT A NATIONAL LEVEL THEY CONNECT WITH NOT JUST THE KIDS BUT OUR SENIORS. AND I HAVE TO SAY THIS MORNING. BEFORE I. >> GOT HERE I WAS READING TO A SECOND GRADE CLASS AT LEE SCHOOL AND I SAID AFTER WE READ
A BOOK WE'RE TALKING ABOUT BLACK HISTORY AND WAS THERE ANYTHING YOU WANT ME TO. >> BRING. BACK TO CITY HALL? UM. A LOT OF THEM ASKED ABOUT THE POOL THE PERKINS. POOL THERE AT THE SCHOOL. I THINK YOU'LL BE THERE LATER TONIGHT.
ED FLYNN YEAH, THEY HAVE THINGS. ALL DAY TO DAY, BUT I WENT EARLIER TO A CLASSROOM TO READ IF THERE IS ANY UPDATE YOU HAVE ON THAT OR IS IT ONE OF THOSE POOLS THAT'S KIND OF NOT EVEN ON THE RADAR TO BE.
YOU KNOW, IT'S DEFINITELY ON THE RADAR. UM, THERE ARE YOU KNOW, THERE'S A OBVIOUSLY THERE'S A VARIETY OF POOL ISSUES THAT UM THROUGHOUT THE NETWORK WHETHER
IT BE SAFE FOR UH UH WHAT I DO KNOW IS OUR COLLEAGUES AT BSA, IT IS ONE OF THE TOP THREE POOLS THAT THEY'RE AT. THEY ARE FOCUSING ON UM THERE IS THEY HAVE DONE SOME WORK
THERE RELATED TO UM KIND OF LIKE THE CAULKING AND DIFFERENT, YOU KNOW, SECURITY THERE IS A LEAK THERE'S A WATER ISSUE OF. IN THE POOL WHERE. THEY'RE LOSING WATER INTO THE
BASEMENT. UM IT'S BEEN LOOKED AT UM IT'S CONTINUE TO BE LIKE THERE WAS ACTUALLY AN UPDATE. UM, AND I DON'T KNOW IF I HAVE IT IF I HAVE A QUICK SECOND HERE, BUT.
UM YES, IT IS ONE OF THOSE LOCATIONS UH, THAT'S IN PROGRESS. UM IT IS CURRENTLY OFFLINE. IT CAME UP ALSO BECAUSE OF ALL THE SNOW AND THEIR PLAY SPACES
OUTSIDE UM AREN'T ALWAYS SHOVELED AND SAFE TO PLAY THEM . SO THEY DID SAY HOW IT WOULD BE GREAT. BECAUSE WE HAVE. >> A POOL LIKE WE WE WOULDN'T HAVE TO GO OUTSIDE DURING THESE LONG WINTERS. OKAY I OBVIOUSLY I WORK VERY
CLOSELY WITH MY COLLEAGUES AND SO I WILL FOLLOW UP WITH THEM SPECIFIC TO THAT. UM UM AND THEY'RE VERY ATTENTIVE OBVIOUSLY WHEN WE ASK FOR THINGS UM SO. RIGHT BECAUSE I KNOW OF THE
LAST COUPLE POOLS COUNCIL FLYNN AND I ADVOCATED FOR IT WASN'T A BIG FIX. IT'S NOT LIKE THE BLACKSTONE. >> OR. YOU KNOW, THE ONE IN CHARLESTOWN THAT GOT A COMPLETE OVERHAUL. IF IT'S SOMETHING THAT IS
DEFINITELY DOABLE I WANT TO MAKE SURE WE ADVOCATE FOR THAT. YES. >> SO UM, RIGHT NOW I MEAN THERE'S THEY'RE STILL WORKING ON THE POOL. UM THEY'RE TRYING TO GET THE SYSTEM SO LIKE THE SYSTEMS CALIBRATED.
YOU CAN'T CALIBRATED WHERE YOU NEEDED TO WHEN YOU LOSE THAT AMOUNT OF WATER FRESH WATER NEEDS TO BE PUMPED IN. SO IT'S LIKE THIS CONTINUOUS THING ONCE I BELIEVE THAT THAT LEAK IS IDENTIFIED AND UH, REMEDIATED IT WILL BE ON
QUICKER THAN USUAL. IT'S WE'RE NOT EXPECTING A COMPLETE OVERHAUL UM FOR THE LIVERPOOL. UM I THINK IT'S JUST THAT SPECIFIC LOCATION. BUT I WILL SAY JUST THE PREMISE
THAT THAT ONE ISSUE TYPICALLY LEADS TO MANY MORE IN A POOL UM ENVIRONMENT YOU FIND THE LEAK IT COULD THEN BE A SHELL ISSUE. YOU OPEN IT UP IT COULD YEAH. SO AND UM UNFORTUNATELY I'VE HAD A LOT OF.
EXPERIENCE AND. AND THINKING THAT IT'S ONLY ONE THING AND THEN FINDING OUT IT'S A MUCH LARGER INVESTMENT. >> OR. POTENTIAL CAPITAL PROJECT BUT UM IT IS CURRENTLY BEING IN PROGRESS AND I KNOW THAT THERE
WAS SAM SAID AS WELL AS A DEDICATED CPO NOW AT BP. AND I WON'T SPEAK TOO MUCH FOR MY COMPRESSOR BETTER. BECAUSE OUR SENIORS COULD SWIM DURING THE DAY. YEAH. >> AND THEN WOULD BE OPEN FOR OUR SENIORS AT NIGHT.
NO, BUT THANK YOU FOR THAT. WE'LL FOLLOW UP BECAUSE I THINK WE'RE DUE FOR A POOL UPDATE GETTING READY. FOR YEAH IT'S GOOD YOU'VE. >> ALWAYS. LOVED THOSE. COMMENTS SO YES. YEAH WE'RE UH WE'RE PREPARING OUR RECRUITMENT IS GOING WELL.
SO AS FAR AS THESE LITTLE. GUYS AND THINGS LIKE THAT. OKAY THANK YOU. >> COUNCILOR FLYNN, DO YOU HAVE ANY CLOSING STATEMENTS? THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR FOR HOLDING THIS IMPORTANT HEARING.
I ALSO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE MEGAN, UM, FOR BEING HERE FROM CENTRAL STAFF FOR THE IMPORTANT WORK SHE IS DOING. OKAY. I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO THE BC WIFE TEAM THAT IS HERE
TO THE EIGHT STRONG TEAM THAT IS HERE. VERY PROFESSIONAL, DOING A VERY GOOD JOB AND I ALSO WANT TO RECOGNIZE MY FRIEND DENISE FROM
INTERGOVERNMENTAL WHO ALSO DOES A GREAT JOB. SO I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE UH DENISE UM I HAVE NO FURTHER QUESTIONS. UM, MADAM CHAIR, IT WAS A VERY INFORMATIVE HEARING. LET'S CONTINUE TO WORK TOGETHER.
THANK YOU. >> I ALSO JUST WANT TO THANK YOU ALL. FOR BEING HERE. I HOPE YOU FEEL BETTER. THANK YOU. >> I'LL ASK YOU WHEN THE. CAMERAS AREN'T ROLLING. >> DID YOU FALL IN THE SNOW? I DON'T. >> KNOW, BUT, UM, JUST THANK YOU FOR ALWAYS. MAKING SURE OUR.
SENIORS HAVE WHAT THEY NEED AND KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW. AS WE HAVE TO MAKE SOME TOUGH DECISIONS. I MEAN, I FEEL LIKE EVERY YEAR WE DO BUT I THINK THIS YEAR MIGHT BE THE ONE WHERE WE'RE MAKING CUTS THAT WE'RE NOT
DOING IT TO OUR SENIORS AND OUR MOST VULNERABLE RESIDENTS. AND I KNOW THAT YOU ALL WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT HAPPENS AND KNOW THAT WE'RE HERE TO FIGHT THAT GOOD FIGHT WITH YOU. SO THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
AND THAT BEING SAID, DOCKET 0287 IS ADJOURNED. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.
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