January 9, 2012 Meeting Minutes

Monument Community Partnership
SENIOR ACTION TEAM
January 9, 2012

Present, Kathy Renfrow, Mary Lou Laubscher, Wes Laubscher, Vicky Lizarraga, Sally Smith, Maxine McCormick, Delores Leon, Elizabeth Leon, Susan Lawson, Elaine Breshears, Dave Pitman, Harold Blair, Hilda Giminez-Paglia

Announcements

First activity was sharing what sort of things we've been involved in this past month. Vicky reported on her trip with the seniors to Walnut Creek.

Dave Pitman - newspaper announcement about upcoming meetings of the One Bay Area - there is a waiting list for a future meeting, but many of us have been able to attend.
Senior Expo March 23, 2012 - Chamber of Commerce - along with groups who work with seniors. Mark your calendar as there will more information later. Ellen is involved in the planning and she will get us more information. Concord chamber of Commerce website will give more information.

Community Reports

Posada - at Frisbie Court. BART provided presents for over 500 children. It was a very festive and safe activity.
Christmas Party with MCP and Michael Chavez Center staff - good opportunity to know each other as we begin working more closely.
Senior Holiday Adoption - the Concord Senior Center promoted this event and provided gifts for many seniors in the area. Vicky had gifts provided for twenty of her seniors. Senior Action Team delivered 30 package sets. There were some problems with the whole process, but was so good and so many people were involved.

HEAL (Healthy Eating Active Living) Update - by Kathy Renfrow, Program Coordinator -

• HEAL Grant Goals: …1- Lower calorie consumption, 2- Eat increased numbers of fruit and vegetables, 3- increased activity in the community, increased activities in institutions.
• Main focus is on children 0-5 Years of age. Mainly child centers in the new HEAL area (2 sq miles from Oak Grove and Monument).
• Fresh Tap water and decreasing soda consumption. Many from other countries know they can't drink the water in their country so the need is to get the apartment owners to improve the piping so the tap water is healthy. Making water fountains and drinking fountains available in the broader community. There is more to the problem than soda consumption - so we are trying to get to the root and tap root of the problem.
• More fruits and vegetables can be the community garden and the "incubator garden" idea, even garden clubs and co-ops in the apartment complex.
• How to increase physical activity in the park setting. City of Concord is looking at exercise machines that can be put in parks. The idea is to increase physical activity for people of all fitness levels, size, with focus of health, rather than losing weight …Ellen suggested using Helen Bacon's Healthy at Every Size
• Bicycle education - highlight the things that already exist and work on ways to improve plans for the future.
• Needs - the bike trails. She needs someone to assess how new bike trails are working and what would make them better. Mary Lou and Ellen are on the Fall Prevention committee that might work on this.
• How it will help seniors -… increased fresh fruits and vegetables, fitness classes, learn cooking together to cook from scratch healthy, safer community,
• Hilda - what change would you like? Nutrition program at churches, traffic issue around Cambridge (Kathy reported all that has been done on that issue with the city. (Much has been done, but it takes time to get it done.) Hilda will work with her church to see if the congregation will work with nutrition and fitness.
• We may get an Urban Farm on Church property.

Senior Action Team Goals/Projects for 2012 See Attachment -

Future SAT Meetings
2-6-12 Alaayne Balke - Senior Needs/ Opportunities from younger eyes
3-5-12 Joanna Marie - Where to Go - What to Do in area
4-2-12 Elaine Welsh, Senior Helpline Services (waiting for response)

What we liked:
Liked having Elizabeth here
Liked opportunity of talking back and forth with Kathy Renfrow about ways we work together
Hilda asked some good questions
Ellen added information that we can work on later

Improve by:

Having more local seniors attending

Next Senior Action Team meeting - February 9, 9:30 am. Keller House, 1760 Clayton Rd, Concord

Mission Statement - The Monument Community Senior Action Team represents seniors ages 55+. We actively promote activities to meet senior needs resulting in an improved quality of life for all. We are Young in heart and Rich in experience.