GOOD MORNING EVERYONE . THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE FOR THE RECORD. MY NAME IS AARON MURPHY, AT-LARGE CITY COUNCILOR AND I AM THE CHAIR OF THE BOSTON CITY COUNCIL COMMITTEE ON STRONG WOMEN FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES. TODAY IT'S APRIL 1ST, 20, 24. THIS HEARING IS BEING RECORDED. IT IS ALSO BEING LIVESTREAMED AT BOSTON DOT GOV SLASH CITY COUNCIL DASH TV AND BROADCAST ON XFINITY CHANNEL EIGHT RCN CHANNEL 82 FIOS CHANNEL NINE SIX HAWK WRITTEN COMMENTS MAY BE SENT TO THE COMMITTEE EMAIL AT C C C DOT HEALTH AT BOSTON.COM AND WILL BE MADE PART OF THE RECORD AND AVAILABLE TO ALL OF THE 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 WILL HAVE 2 MINUTES TO TESTIFY. IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN TESTIFYING IN PERSON PLEASE ADD YOUR NAME TO THE SIGN IN SHEET AT THE DOOR NEAR THE ENTRANCE OF THE CHAMBER AND IF YOU'RE LOOKING TO TESTIFY VIRTUALLY YOU WILL NEED TO EMAIL CENTRAL STAFF LIAISON MEGAN CAVANAUGH WHICH IS M E G H A N DOT K AVE A AND A G H AT BOSTON DOT GOV. FOR THE LINK IN YOUR NAME WILL BE ADDED TO THE LIST. TODAY'S HEARING IS ON DOCKET 0509 IN ORDER FOR A HEARING TO REVIEW PROGRAMING AVAILABLE FOR SENIORS IN THE CITY OF BOSTON.  ALWAYS A GOOD CONVERSATION TO HAVE. THIS MATTER WAS SPONSORED BY COUNCILORS ENRIQUE PEPEN, BEN WEBER AND LOUIE COUNCIL LOUIJEUNE AND WAS OFFERED TO THE COMMITTEE ON THE MEETING ON MARCH 13, 2020 FOR. TODAY I AM JOINED BY MY COLLEAGUES IN ORDER OF ARRIVAL THE LEAD SPONSORS COUNCIL OF WEBER COUNCILOR PEP AND COUNCILOR LOUIJEUNE AND I'M ALSO JOINED BY COUNCILOR CALATA AND COUNCILOR BREADON BEFORE WE START WITH OPENING REMARKS, I DO KNOW THAT WE HAD A LONG LIST OF PANELISTS AND I JUST WANT TO CONFIRM FROM THE ADMINISTRATION SIDE WHO'S HERE.  SO I KNOW WE HAVE EMILY SHEA, THE COMMISSIONER THANK YOU.  JOSE MASO THANK YOU FOR COMING DOWN AND LETICIA AWESOME. TYISHA JONES WARNER SO YOU'RE THE STRONG COMMISSION THE DIRECTOR OF EVENTS AND PROGRAMING, CORRECT? YES. AND ALISON FREEMAN, PROGRAM MANAGER.  PERFECT. SO YOU'LL BE FIRST WE DO HAVE A SECOND PANEL AND WE MAY HAVE KIND OF COMMUNITY CHIME IN AT SOME POINT. WE'VE ALSO BEEN JOINED THANK YOU BY COUNCIL ME HERE. AND WITH THAT BEING SAID AS A WOMAN AND MY MID-FIFTIES MY PARENTS MY DAD IS 91 NOW MY MOM IS GETTING OLDER.  MY GRANDPARENTS LIVED INTO IT WONDERFUL OLD AGE SO SENIORS ARE CLOSE TO TO ME AND TO OUR COMMUNITY AND IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE GET IT RIGHT. AND I KNOW RECENTLY WE HAD THE HEARING WHERE WE WENT THROUGH A LOT OF GRANTS AND SOMETHING I KNEW BUT IT WAS REMINDED AT THAT HEARING THE AMAZING WORK YOUR DEPARTMENT AND YOUR COMMISSION DOES FOR OUR AGING RESIDENTS. JUST SEEING THE PICTURES FROM THE PLAY THE OTHER NIGHT IN BRIGHTON WITH OUR SENIORS AND KNOWING THAT THE DIFFERENT CENTERS THAT HAVE STANDALONE SENIOR PROGRAMING OR ALL OF THE B.S. WIFE AND OTHER PROGRAMING WE DO OFFER THROUGHOUT THE CITY IS IMPORTANT BUT AT THE SAME TIME AND I THINK WE ALL LOVE THAT OUR SENIORS ARE ADVOCATES FOR THEMSELVES WHICH IS WONDERFUL AND THEY'RE THE FIRST TO CALL YOU AND REMIND YOU IF THERE'S SOMETHING THEY WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE OFFERING THEM. SO KUDOS TO OUR SENIORS WHO ARE WONDERFUL ROLE MODEL TO THE YOUNGER GENERATION THAT YOU NEED TO ADVOCATE FOR YOURSELF. AND I KNOW THAT I'LL PASS IT OFF TO THE LEAD SPONSORS BUT THAT DEFINITELY WHEN I'M IN COMMUNITY AND I'M AT EITHER YOU KNOW, KEYSTONE OR PLACES THAT ARE SENIOR ONLY OR ALSO JUST DIFFERENT YOU KNOW, THE SUPERMARKET AND THEY COME OVER THE CONCERNS THEY HAVE OR THE NEEDS THEY HAVE OR SOMETHING. I KNOW THAT WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO UPLIFT SO THIS HEARING WILL HOPEFULLY GET US TO THE END WHERE WE KNOW GOING INTO BUDGET SEASON WHAT ARE WE DOING AND WHAT DO YOU NEED TO EXPAND THOSE OFFERINGS TO OUR SENIORS SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH AND I WILL PASS IT OFF TO COUNCILOR WEBER.  THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. CHAIR MURPHY I'D LIKE TO THANK THE PANELISTS FOR BEING HERE TODAY AND MY COLLEAGUES AND CO-SPONSORS. COUNCILOR PEPEN AND COUNCIL PRESIDENT LOUIJEUNE FOR FOR SPONSORING THIS I FILED THIS YEAR IN ORDER TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE D PROGRAMING THAT THE CITY OFFERS TO SENIORS AND IF THAT PROGRAM IS ACCESSIBLE AND EQUITABLY AVAILABLE FOR ALL OF OUR SENIORS ACROSS THE CITY. I ALSO WANT TO APPLAUD PROGRAMS IN MY DISTRICT LIKE GP AT HOME AND THE WEST ROXBURY SENIOR CENTER BOTH OPERATED BY ETHOS.  YOU KNOW THEY'VE STEPPED UP TO THE PLATE AND PROVIDED OUR SENIORS WITH, YOU KNOW, A GREAT SET OF ACTIVITIES AND YOU KNOW, I THINK YOU KNOW AS A CITY IT'S OUR OBLIGATION TO MAKE SURE THOSE ACTIVITIES CONTINUE. I KNOW THAT GIVEN THE RECENT STATE BUDGET CUTS THAT WILL MAKE IT CHALLENGING FOR US TO CONTINUE TO PROVIDE OUR SENIORS WITH THOSE SERVICES.  AND I FIRST WANT TO THANK AGENT AND COMMISSIONER EMILY SHEA FOR FOR ALL THAT SHE IS DOING TO PROVIDE SERVICES FOR OUR SENIORS ACROSS THE CITY AND WANT TO WORK IN PARTNERSHIP TO CLOSE ANY GAPS THAT MAY EXIST THAT PREVENT SENIOR PROGRAMING FROM HAPPENING.  WHAT THE PANDEMIC HAS TAUGHT US IS THAT OUR SENIORS NEED A SENSE OF COMMUNITY.  THEY NEED TO BE MOBILE AND NEED TO BE ENGAGED WITH ONE ANOTHER IN ORDER TO AGE IN PLACE AND LIVE THEIR BEST LIVES. I HOPE TODAY WE CAN DISCUSS WAYS TO MAKE THIS POSSIBLE FOR OUR SENIORS ACROSS THE CITY AND I WELCOME ANY SOLUTIONS THAT WE CAN CONSIDER TO BEST SERVE OUR SENIORS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COMFORTABLE WITH OUR COUNCILOR ? THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. AND THANK YOU TO THE PANELISTS FOR BEING HERE TODAY. THANK YOU TO THE LEAD SPONSOR COUNCILOR WEBER FOR PROPOSING THIS PUTTING THIS ON THE TABLE BECAUSE IT'S A TOPIC THAT IS ALSO VERY IMPORTANT IN MY DISTRICT. DISTRICT FIVE IS HOME TO A VERY HIGH PERCENTAGE OF ADULTS THAT ARE OLDER THAN 65 YEARS OLD AND WHEN THAT ARTICLE CAME OUT THAT THE STATE IS PLANNING ON CUTTING THE BUDGET BY $10.7 MILLION, IT DID CAUSE A LOT OF ANXIETY IN RESIDENTS.  AS YOU ALL ARE WELL AWARE, THERE ISN'T A SENIOR CENTER IN MY DISTRICT.  THERE ARE A LOT OF SENIORS THAT FEEL LIKE THEY DON'T HAVE A PLACE TO CONNECT WITH OTHERS. BUT BEFORE I CONTINUE WITH SAYING THAT I DO WANT TO GIVE A QUICK SHOUT OUT A COUNSELOR, WEBER SAID TO PEOPLE LIKE VALERIE FRIAS FROM ETHOS. MICHELLE CONSALVO FOR ME THOSE MISS BARBARA CRUTCHLOW WHO RUNS AN AMAZING PROGRAM AT THE MAJOR COMMUNITY CENTER AND EVERY TUESDAY AND THURSDAY THAT ROOM IS PACKED OF SENIORS NOT ONLY FROM MY DISTRICT BUT ACROSS THE CITY.  SO SHOUT OUT TO THE WORK THAT THEY DO. BUT I KNOW THAT THERE THE OUTREACH IS SPREAD THIN BECAUSE THERE ISN'T THAT PLACE WHERE PEOPLE CAN GO TO. SO I'M VERY EXCITED FOR THE CONVERSATION TO HAVE HERE TODAY. HOPEFULLY THERE'S THERE'S A PRODUCTIVE CONVERSATION BECAUSE IN THE SENIORS DESERVE IT. AND I ALSO WANT TO HIGHLIGHT THE FACT THAT IN MY DISTRICT IN HYDE PARK SPECIFICALLY WE HAVE TO BRING NEW DEVELOPMENTS COME INTO THE NEIGHBORHOOD THE PRIDE WHICH IS THE FIRST IN THE NATION LGBTQ FRIENDLY SENIOR HOUSING. AND THEN 1201 RIVER STREET WHICH IS ANOTHER WELL 55 PLUS SENIOR HOUSING. BUT IT'S TO AMAZING OPPORTUNITIES AND THEY'RE RIGHT NEXT TO THE HYDE PARK MUNI, THE MUNICIPAL CENTER. SO HOPEFULLY WE CAN CHAT ABOUT SOME POTENTIAL SENIOR RESOURCES GOING INTO THAT BUILDING CONSIDERING WE HAVE SOME NEW NEIGHBORS. BUT THAT'S WHY I DECIDED TO CO-SPONSOR THIS BECAUSE IT'S A VERY IMPORTANT TOPIC. BUT AGAIN, VERY THANKFUL FOR HAVING YOU HERE TODAY AND LOOKING FORWARD TO THE CONVERSATION. THANK YOU.  COUNCIL PRESIDENT LOUIJEUNE THANK YOU.  AND I WANT TO THANK MEMBERS OF THE ADMINISTRATION FOR BEING HERE. COUNCILOR WEBER, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR FILING THIS. THIS IS A MATTER THAT MATTERS MOST TO EVERYONE. MY MY DISTRICT COLLEAGUES ARE SAYING YOUR MESSAGE TO EVERYONE IN THEIR DISTRICT AND A MATTER OF EVERYONE IN MY DISTRICT TO WHICH IS THE ENTIRE CITY OF BOSTON BECAUSE OUR AS THE HEARING ORDER STATES APPROXIMATELY 12.3% OF OUR CITY IS OUR AGING ADULTS AND YOU ALL ARE DOING A FANTASTIC JOB OF HELPING US MEET THEIR NEEDS THERE JOY ON THE FACE OF OUR SENIORS AT ANY OF THAT IS JUST BEYOND I JUST LIKE I DON'T WANT TO GO ANYWHERE. I WANT TO STAY ALL DAY AND TALK TO THEM AND LEARN FROM THEM AND HEAR FROM THEIR WISDOM. BUT IT ALSO SHOWS YOU HOW IMPORTANT IT IS FOR US TO BE CREATING SPACE FOR THEM AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT IF WE ARE LUCKY ENOUGH WE'LL ALL EXPERIENCE WHAT IT MEANS TO AGE AND WHAT IT MEANS TO BE OLDER AND CREATING AN ENVIRONMENT THAT WE WANT TO SEE I THINK IS A MODEL. SO I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR THAT. IT'S SOMETHING THAT FOLKS HAVE ORGANIZED AND REMEMBER I PUT THIS IN FOR ARPA FOR THERE TO BE AN ALLOCATION OF SENIOR PROGRAMING AFTER SPEAKING TO OUR AGING ADULTS AT THE KEYSTONE AND HEARING FROM THEM AND THEIR INCREDIBLE ADVOCACY SHOUT OUT TO JAN HAMILTON HERE AND DOT IN WEST ROXBURY WHO HAVE BEEN ADVOCATING WHO ARE ORGANIZING ADVOCATING FOR A SENIOR CENTER THERE AND WE WENT A LOT OF US WENT THERE RECENTLY AND JUST SAW THE NEED AND JUST SAW THE LOVE AND DOING CHAIR YOGA AND THE PANDEMIC ALSO SHOWED US THE TOLL THAT LONELINESS CAN HAVE ON US AS INDIVIDUALS BUT EVEN MORE SO FOR OUR SENIORS WHO FEEL ISOLATED.  I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU KNOW, I'D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU WHAT IF MONEY WERE IN A CONSTRAINT, WHAT THE VISION WOULD BE AND THEN GIVEN THAT MONEY IS A CONSTRAINT, WHAT IS THE VISION AND HOW ARE WE WORKING TOWARDS MEETING THE GOALS? I KNOW THAT FOLKS HERE IN KANSAS WARREN'S DISTRICT ARE INCREDIBLY ORGANIZED.  THOSE ARE THE MILDRED SHOUT OUT TO BARBARA CRITCHLOW AND ALL THOSE WHO ARE ORGANIZING JUST IN DIFFERENT MATTAPAN IN AND AROUND OUR CITY. BUT I'D LOVE TO HEAR THE SORT OF WHAT THE VISION IS WHERE WE ARE NOW AND WHAT THE WISH LIST IS BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY IT'S FOR WEST ROXBURY, IT'S FOR SOUTHWEST BOSTON BUT IT'S FOR OTHER PLACES AS WELL. AND SO I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR WORK. ONE OF MY COLLEAGUES BECAUSE I THINK THIS IS SOMETHING THAT UNIFIES US ALL WHETHER IT BE IN ROXBURY OR ROXBURY OR MATTAPAN THAT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE TAKING CARE OF THOSE WHO TOOK CARE OF US. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU AND WE'VE BEEN JOINED BY COUNCILOR FERNANDES ANDERSON, COUNCILOR SANTANA AND COUNCILOR FLYNN LIKE THE SO I THINK THE SENIORS WHEN WE HAVE A HEARING ON SENIORS WE GET EVERYONE TO COME AND ADVOCATE SO THIS IS GREAT. NEXT FOUR OPENING STATEMENTS IS COUNCILOR COLETTA OH. THANK YOU CHAIR AND THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR YOUR WORK. HELLO.  HI. GOOD MORNING, SENIORS. I MEAN IT'S IT'S GOING TO BE SAID A MILLION TIMES OVER BUT SENIORS HAVE DEDICATED THEIR LIVES TO UPLIFT THEIR FAMILIES, SUPPORT THEIR FAMILIES BUT ALSO OUR COMMUNITIES. AND SO THEY DESERVE THE ABSOLUTE BEST FOR THOSE WHO ARE LISTENING IN.  WE HAVE A WHOLE NEW GENERATION THAT IS EMERGING IS GOING TO RETIRE AND THEY HAVE DIFFERENT PRIORITIES. THEY ARE FINDING DIFFERENT WAYS TO FIND CAMARADERIE AND COMPANIONSHIP BEYOND BINGO AND A LOT OF THEM HAVE SAID WELL WE LOVE BINGO. THEY WANT TO FOCUS IN ON THEIR HEALTH AND WELLNESS. SO ARE WE INVESTING OUR RESOURCES IN A VERY HELPFUL WAY, PRODUCTIVE WAY THAT MEETS THEIR NEEDS AND MEETS THEIR PRIORITIES? AND SO THAT'S SOMETHING I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU ALL BUT JUST WANT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR WORK. I THINK THE VARIOUS TAPESTRY OF ORGANIZATIONS ABCD SOME OF THE ORGANIZATIONS IN EAST BOSTON AND TALK ABOUT THESE BOSTON SENIOR CENTER AND HOW GREAT IT IS AND TALK ABOUT WHAT IT TOOK TO GET THAT OFF THE GROUND EVEN TO HAVE A SHOVEL IN THE GROUND SO HAPPY TO BE HERE AND LOOK FORWARD TO THE CONVERSATION. THANK YOU. THANK YOU COUNCILOR CLETA COUNSELOR BREADON THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR AND THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE THIS MORNING. I'M VERY EXCITED TO HAVE THIS CONVERSATION THIS MORNING WE HAVE AND WE'RE VERY BLESSED TO HAVE THE VERONICA SMITH SENIOR CENTER IN ALLSTON, BRIGHTON AS A AS A AS A FORMER FIREHOUSE AND CONVERTED INTO A USED TO BE A MUNICIPAL CENTER AND AS A SENIOR CENTER AND ALSO HAS THE BRIGHTON AND AUSTIN HERITAGE MUSEUM DOWNSTAIRS IF YOU'RE EVER OVER THERE IT'S ALWAYS WORTH A VISIT JUST TO SAY BOSTONIANS ARE THE REMIT IS TO OUR SENIORS OUR 55 YEARS AND OLDER. WELL I CAN PUT MYSELF SQUARELY IN THAT DEPARTMENT RIGHT NOW AT THE MOMENT AND ALSO TO REMEMBER THAT IT'S THREE GENERATIONS OF 55 YEAR OLDS UP TO 100 YEAR OLDS AND MANY OF OUR GENERATION OUR SENIORS ARE TAKING CARE OF AGING PARENTS AND THEY'RE ALSO HELPING TO TAKE CARE OF YOUNGSTERS THE NEXT GENERATION COMING BEHIND SO I THINK IT'S REALLY AS WE FOUND OUT AND A BIG SHOUT OUT TO LAUREN BASLER AND JACKIE, THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE VERONICA SMITH AND ALSO JACKIE MCLOUGHLIN. THEY PUT ON SOME GREAT PROGRAMS AS ANYONE WHO ATTENDED THE ST PATRICK'S DAY PARTY CAN ATTEST IT'S DEFINITELY A HOPPING OVER THERE. EVERYBODY'S HAVING A LOT OF FUN AND THEY DID THEIR THEY DID A DRAMATIC PERFORMANCE THE OTHER EVENING AND I WASN'T UNFORTUNATELY I WASN'T ABLE TO ATTEND MISSED IT COMPLETELY BUT YOU KNOW THEY'RE REALLY WORKING VERY CREATIVELY TO PROVIDE PROGRAMING AND AS AS AS LAUREN SAYS, YOU KNOW, OFFERING A WIDE RANGE OF DIFFERENT PROGRAMS IS VERY IMPORTANT BECAUSE NOT EVERYONE WANTS TO DO BINGO BUT THERE'S SOMETHING SORT OF A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE AND THERE'S PEOPLE WHO JUST COME IN FOR SPECIFIC TYPES OF PROGRAMS LIKE THE THE PAINTING PROGRAM OR THE THE TAICHI OR THE YOGA OR WHATEVER THAT'S DIFFERENT DIFFERENT PEOPLE ARE DRAWN IN. THEY ALSO THE OTHER THING THAT I'D REALLY LIKE TO RAISE UP IS THE INCREDIBLE AMOUNT OF TALENT AND EXPERIENCE THAT OUR ELDERLY OUR SENIORS HAVE AND NOT EVERYONE WANTS TO THEY WANT TO BE ACTIVE IN THEIR RETIREMENT SO FINDING WAYS TO CONTINUE TO HAVE WAYS THAT THEY CAN CONTRIBUTE TO THE GROWTH AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF OUR CITY AND TO NURTURE AND MENTOR THE NEXT GENERATION OF OUR YOUNGER YOUNGER KIDS COMING IN SO MUCH NEED FOR FOLKS TO HELP WITH MENTORING AND HOMEWORK.  I THINK THIS I'M VERY INTO THINKING ABOUT INTERGENERATIONAL PROGRAMS AND WAYS WE CAN SUPPORT ELDERS TO GET THE RESPECT THEY NEED. LIKE IN SOME CULTURES GENERATION OF YOUR ELDERS IS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT. I DON'T THINK WE DO THAT SO WELL IN THE UNITED STATES BUT ALSO TO HAVE ELDERS PASS ON THAT WISDOM AND THAT KNOWLEDGE TO THE YOUNGER GENERATION COMING ALONG AND WE HAVE QUESTIONS AND I'M NOT GOING TO TALK ANYMORE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE. THANK YOU FOR CELEBRATING. COMFORTABLE? I'M HERE. THANK YOU. CHAIR I JUST LOOKED AT COUNCILOR BRAID AND AS YOU LOOK AT MY NOTES I WROTE I'M I LOVE THAT. I LOVE THAT WE'RE ALL ON THE SAME WAVELENGTH HERE SO I AM GOING TO DITTO SOME OF THE THINGS THAT COUNCILOR BREEDEN JUST MENTIONED. I JUST WANT TO BEFORE I START TO SAY THANK YOU ALL I THINK YOUR DEPARTMENT BRINGS THE GREATEST JOY TO SO MANY OF OUR SENIORS WHO ARE OFTENTIMES EXPERIENCING ISOLATION. SO WHETHER IT'S THE SAME PARTIES, WHETHER IT'S AFRICAN-AMERICAN, YOU KNOW, HISTORY MONTH OR WHATEVER THE CASE IS IS LIKE IT IS SO GREAT TO SEE THEM IN COMMUNITY WITH EACH OTHER HAVING A GOOD TIME. AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, CATHERINE BREEDEN AND I ALSO GET TO DANCE AND ENJOY OURSELVES TOO. SO I THINK EVERYBODY IS ENJOYING THE PROGRAMING. I THINK I JUST WANT TO HIGHLIGHT A FEW THINGS. YOU KNOW, ONE IS AROUND THE 55 AND OVER. I THINK THAT OFTENTIMES AS WE'RE THINKING ABOUT SENIORS THERE'S I THINK WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO CREATE SOME MORE PROGRAMING ESPECIALLY A LOT OF OUR GRANDPARENTS WHO ARE RAISING CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE. SO I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR A LITTLE BIT MORE PROGRAMING WHAT WE'RE DOING TO SUPPORT PARENTS, GRANDPARENT SO PARENTING AND THE WHOLE IDEA OF INTERGENERATIONAL PROGRAMING I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT AND SO I THINK THAT THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY THERE FOR CREATING SOME MORE INTEGRATED PROGRAMING WITH YOUTH AND TEACHING ELDERS AND ELDERS OR TEACHING YOUTH AND SO THAT IT'S NOT JUST IN THE STRONG BUDGET BUT THAT THERE WE'RE SHARING THE THE PIE A LITTLE BIT. I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR SOME WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE AND THEN WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT A LOT OF OUR ELDERS ARE THAT EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE THEY'RE RETIRED THEY'RE NOT READY TO RETIRE THEY WANT TO WORK AND I THINK WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY AND THIS IS WHERE I THINK AS THE CITY WE NEED TO START THINKING ABOUT OUR COORDINATED EFFORTS LIKE WHERE CAN WE PULL RESOURCES FROM OUR VIOLENCE PREVENTION STRATEGY? GRANDPARENTS AND ELDERS CAN BE A PART OF THAT CONVERSATION.  WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT WHAT TYPE OF PIPELINES ARE WE? ARE WE CREATING FOR EVEN FOR THEM TO START THEIR OWN BUSINESSES? I HAVE GRANDPARENTS WHO HAVE CALLED MY OFFICE WHO WANT TO START A CLEANING COMPANY AND THEY'RE READY TO GO AND I THINK THAT OFTENTIMES THEY DON'T KNOW HOW TO NAVIGATE. SO I'D LOVE TO HEAR SOME INNOVATION AROUND THAT AND THEN THE LAST THING THAT I'LL SAY IS THAT DURING COVID OUR OFFICE WORKS ALONGSIDE A LOT OF THE ADULT DAYCARES AND AS WELL AS SOME OF THE SENIOR HOUSING. SO WE CREATED PROGRAMING FOR CULTURALLY COMPETENT FOODS AS WELL AS OUR HEALING PROGRAMS. AND WHAT WE REALIZE IS THAT THOSE ARE HEALING SESSIONS. WE'VE HAD A ART THERAPIST WHO COMES IN AND THERE'S SOME PAINT NIGHTS WITH SOME OF OUR ELDERS AND WE'VE BEEN DOING THIS IN COLLABORATION WITH NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS BUT IT WOULD BE GREAT TO HEAR A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW YOU ALL ARE ARE TACKLING TRAUMA FOR OUR ELDERS AND THE WHAT ROLE THAT ARTS PLAYS AND THAT'S ANOTHER DEPARTMENT. SO I THINK AT THE END OF THE DAY THE BOTTOM LINE IS IS THAT WE ARE RESOURCE RICH AND COORDINATION POOR AND I THINK WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT OUR SENIORS WE NEED TO TAP INTO EVERY SINGLE LITTLE BUDGET AND DEPARTMENT TO SEE WHERE CAN WE PULL SOME RESOURCES TO SUPPORT OUR ELDERS. AND SO THAT'S WHAT I'D LOVE TO HEAR A LITTLE BIT ABOUT. I'LL BE PUMPING IN AND OUT BECAUSE I DO HAVE A 1030 BUT I'LL BE LISTENING IN AND I'LL BE COMING BACK FOR QUESTIONS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU CONSTANTLY COUNCILOR OF ANANDA CITIZEN THANK YOU MADAM CHAIR. JUST A HEADS UP I HAVE TO STEP OUT. I'D LOVE TO OUR MEETING BUT I WILL COME BACK AS WELL. SO THIS IS THIS IS I HAVE A SIMILAR FILE FOR DISTRICT SEVEN SPECIFIC. GOOD MORNING, CHIEF COMMISSIONER MS.. I NEVER CALL YOU BY YOUR LAST NAME JONES WARNER DIRECTOR JONES OR I'M SORRY I DON'T KNOW YOUR NAME. ALISON THERE YOU ARE, MS.. FREEMAN. THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE.  THIS CONVERSATION AS YOU'VE YOU'RE HEARING HERE IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT TO US. ONE OF SO I DIDN'T KNOW THIS HEARING WAS HAPPENING BUT THE INTENTION I THINK THAT THE FILER HAD WAS TO ACTUALLY COMBINE MY FILING WITH HIS AND WE ALL GET SO BUSY AND YOU CAN SEE HOW THERE'S A DISCONNECT.  SO WHEN I SAW THIS ON THE CALENDAR THIS MORNING I WAS LIKE OH, LET ME RUSH INTO THAT AND HOPEFULLY INFUSE MYSELF INTO IT SO THAT IT'S ONE CONVERSATION AND I THINK CONSIDERING THIS THE HEARING FOR MY FILE WOULD BE GREAT AND SO MY FOCUS SPECIFICALLY AND I'VE WORKED WITH I'VE WORKED WITH SPECIFICALLY I DON'T KNOW IF YOU GUYS ARE FAMILIAR WITH A PROGRAM CALLED THAT PAID BY MEDICAID IS A MEDICAID OR MEDICARE FOR SENIORS.  EXACTLY. IS IT CALLED MEDICARE WHEN YOU SENIOR SPECIFIC MEDICARE IS 65 ON MEDICARE. THANK YOU SO SPECIFICALLY BY MEDICARE IT IS CALLED A COMMUNITY SERVICES PROGRAMS BY MASS HEALTH AND OTHERS THAT THAT THAT WOULD PAY LIKE SORT OF YOU KNOW CONTRACTORS OR PROVIDERS TO PROVIDE SERVICES TO SENIORS AND IT'S SPECIFIC TO SENIORS WITH MENTAL HEALTH OR SENIORS WITH DISABILITY OR AS A SENIOR STRATEGIST NEEDING SUPPORTS. AND SO THROUGHOUT THAT MY MY EXPERIENCE AND MY MY OVERALL LIKE PUBLIC HEALTH IS LIKE 27 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE FULL TRANSPARENCY STARTING WITH THIS BEAUTIFUL WOMAN SITTING HERE AS JOHN'S OWNER. MY FIRST JOB I WAS WE WERE 13 TOGETHER AND SO THE THE LEVEL OF SERVICES THAT ARE MISSING THAT WE WE KNOW WE CAN WE CAN DO EVENTS WE CAN DO ALL OF THESE OTHER TYPES OF LIKE SORT OF SUPPLEMENTAL SERVICES BUT THE LEVEL OF CARE AND SERVICES THAT ARE MISSING IS REALLY PART DAMPENING TO SAY THE LEAST. AND WHEREAS AS YOU CAMPAIGN YOU GO THROUGH PEOPLE'S DOORS AND SENIORS ARE SAD IN GENERAL IS WHAT I'M HEARING PEOPLE ARE DEPRESSED PEOPLE TELL YOU I FEEL ALONE AND A LOT OF MY STOPS WERE IN TEARS.  A LOT OF THEM WERE YOU KNOW, LET ME LET ME PRAY FOR YOU. YOU KNOW, LITTLE SENSE BUT A LOT OF THEM A LOT OF MY AUNTIES AND UNCLES ARE OUT THERE AND THEY ARE SAD AND SO ALL OF THIS IN COMBINATION WITH MY EXPERIENCE AND EXPERTISE, I FEEL LIKE IT'S JUST A LACK OF ADDRESSING YOUNG SENIORS AND MEETING WITH THEM WHERE THEY ARE AND BECAUSE THEY'RE SUCH A FORGOTTEN POPULATION YOU KNOW THIS MORE THAN I DO.  YOU ARE THE EXPERTS IN THIS. I APPLAUD WHAT YOU ARE DOING.  YOU HAVE A HUGE UNDERTAKING. SO MY CONVERSATION IS GOING TO BE SPECIFIC TO DISTRICT SEVEN BUT LOOKING AT NOT JUST, YOU KNOW, ADULT DAY CARE NOT JUST A CENTER WHERE THEY CAN GO, I THINK THERE ARE CREATIVE SOLUTIONS TO THIS OUTDOOR RECREATIONAL SPACE INDOOR THERE ARE BUILDINGS THAT ARE A BLIGHT IN OUR DISTRICT THAT WE CAN TAKE AND RENOVATE TO ACTUALLY CREATE RECREATIONAL AND I'M NOT JUST TALKING ABOUT AGAIN YOU KNOW, BINGO AND STUFF LIKE THAT . I'M TALKING ABOUT WAYS THAT SENIORS CAN ACTUALLY LOOK INTO CONTRIBUTING AND BEING A PART OF SOCIETY AS YOU'VE HEARD FROM MY COLLEAGUES. SO THIS IS HOPEFULLY HOPING FOR A ROBUST CONVERSATION BUT THIS IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT TO ME . OUR SENIORS ARE MY FAVORITE PEOPLE CREATURES OF ALL HUMANS AND I ACTUALLY DO A SENIOR TOUR IN MY DISTRICT WHERE EVERY FRIDAY I'VE SPENT ABOUT 2 TO 3 WEEKS THREE 2 TO 3 HOURS WITH THEM. AND SO I GO FROM SENIOR HOME SENIOR FROM A PROGRAM TO A PROGRAM EVERY SINGLE FRIDAY AND WE EAT, WE TALK, WE LAUGH, WE JOKE BUT MOSTLY IT'S ABOUT TAKING DOWN THEIR GRIEVANCES AND HERE AND LISTENING TO THEM AS A CITY COUNCIL YOU COULD SEE THAT THAT'S NOT CONVENTIONAL BUT I FIND IT EXTREMELY HELPFUL TO GUIDE POLICIES AND PROJECTS OR PROGRAMS IN DISTRICT SEVEN. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE AND LOOKING FORWARD TO THE CONVERSATION. THANK YOU COUNCILOR SANTANA GOOD MORNING. THANK YOU MADAM CHAIR AND THANK YOU TO THE LEAD SPONSORS FOR BRINGING THIS HEARING ORDER AND THANK YOU TO OUR PANELISTS. I'M SO GLAD TO SEE SO MANY FAMILIAR FACES. YOU KNOW, I'LL KEEP MY REMARKS SHORT AND I THINK I WANT TO REITERATE, YOU KNOW, A COUPLE OF THE THINGS ABOUT MY PREVIOUS COLLEAGUES HAVE MENTIONED. YOU KNOW, I GREW UP ON MISSION HILL AND RIGHT RIGHT. MISSION HILL, MISSION PARK SERVES A LOT OF OUR YOU KNOW, A LOT OF OUR SENIORS LIVE A MISSION HAS ALSO GOT TO SPEND A LOT OF TIME GROWING UP THERE AND AS A FORMER DIRECTOR OF THE MISSION ALL SUMMER PROGRAM I USED TO DO A LOT OF CROSS COLLABORATION ACROSS INTERGENERATIONAL PROGRAMING AND I KNOW COUNCILOR AND CUSTOMER HERE HAS BROUGHT THAT UP AND I THINK THAT'S ONE OF THE YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE QUESTIONS THAT WERE ASKED TODAY IN TERMS OF WHAT OPPORTUNITIES ARE WE CREATING AND YOU KNOW, HOW CAN WE HAVE THE CITY COUNCIL BE SUPPORTIVE OF THAT? I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT FOR OUR YOUTH AND OUR SENIORS TO REALLY GET TOGETHER. I'M REALLY GLAD TO SEE CHIEF MARSHALL HERE WHO DOES A LOT OF WORK WITH WITH OUR YOUTH. THE OTHER PIECE YOU KNOW, I'D LIKE TO BRING UP TODAY IS TRANSPORTATION. YOU KNOW, I AM OUR CITY COUNCILOR . I GET TO SPEND TIME IN EVERY SINGLE NEIGHBORHOOD AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT REALLY COMES UP IS, YOU KNOW, I REALLY WANT TO BE ABLE TO DO THIS WHERE I BUT I CAN'T GET THERE OR YOU KNOW, I HAVE TO WAIT FOR THIS BUS OR WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, I DO WANT TO LEARN WHAT YOU ARE DOING FOR TRANSPORTATION AND AGAIN WELL, WHAT CAN WE DO TO BETTER SUPPORT THAT?  AND THEN YOU KNOW, THE LAST THING I WANT TO TOUCH ON IS JUST FOOD ACCESS. I KNOW COMES TO ME I JUST MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, DURING THE PANDEMIC I WAS ALSO VERY ACTIVE ON THE PANDEMIC OF DELIVERING YOUR FOOD DIRECTLY TO OUR SENIOR HOMES AND AND I THINK THAT HASN'T STOPPED GREAT THE FOOD INSECURITY AS IS OBVIOUS BECAUSE WE'RE YOU KNOW, PAST THE PANDEMIC. SO WHILE I LEARNED MORE VIEWS OF THE WORK THAT YOU ARE DOING, I KNOW YOU ARE DOING INCREDIBLE WORK BUT WANT TO KNOW HOW YOU KNOW WE AS A CITY COUNCIL CAN SUPPORT THAT WORK MORE. SO THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THE CONVERSATION.  THANK YOU. COUNCIL CENTENNIAL COUNCIL OFFLINE THANK YOU MADAM CHAIR AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK ON SUPPORTING OUR SENIORS THROUGHOUT BOSTON ALONG WITH THE OTHER FILES OF OF THIS IMPORTANT HEARING. THANK YOU TO THE PANEL FOR BEING HERE FOR YOUR WORK AS WELL.  I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY THIS MORNING TO BE IN ROXBURY AND TALK WITH SOME SENIORS, MOSTLY VETERANS BUT THERE WERE SENIORS AS WELL AND WHAT THEY WERE CONCERNED WITH IS POTENTIAL BUDGET CUTS TO SENIORS OR TO VETERANS. BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THEY ASKED ME IS TO WORK CLOSELY WITH MY COLLEAGUES HERE IN THE CITY COUNCIL TO SUPPORT OUR SENIORS DURING THIS BUDGET PROCESS. SO I I TOLD THEM CERTAINLY THAT'S A TOP PRIORITY FOR FOR ALL OF US SENIORS PLAY A CRITICAL ROLE IN OUR CITY, IN OUR ECONOMY. THEY HELPED BUILD BOSTON ESPECIALLY DURING DIFFICULT TIMES IN THIS CITY WHEN BOSTON WASN'T AS FINANCIALLY WEALTHY I SHOULD SAY AND IT WAS A STRUGGLING CITY FOR MANY, MANY SENIORS. BUT THEY WORKED HARD. THEY WERE DETERMINED AND THEY WERE DETERMINED TO GIVE BACK AND MAKE MAKE OUR CITY A CITY THAT WORKS FOR EVERYBODY. SO WHAT I WHAT I WHAT I'M GOING TO FOCUS ON IS ENSURING THAT WE HAVE THE RESOURCES IN THE BUDGET SO THAT OUR SENIORS CAN'T PARTICIPATE IN VARIOUS PROGRAMS WHETHER IT'S NUTRITIONAL PROGRAMS, WHETHER IT'S JOB TRAINING, WHETHER IT'S SUPPORTING SENIORS THAT ARE STRUGGLING WITH INCOME,  ENSURING THOSE TRANSPORTATION ACCESS FOR SENIORS AS WELL. SO HERE TO WORK WITH MY COLLEAGUES, WORK WITH THE ADMINISTRATION LISTEN AND TO BE AS HELPFUL AS I CAN. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. THANK YOU, COUNCILOR FLYNN THANK YOU TO ALL MY COLLEAGUES FOR THEIR OPENING REMARKS AND THANK YOU, CHIEF COMMISSIONER SHEA I'M NOT SURE DO YOU WANT TO START CHIEF MASO YEAH, THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.  NO, THANK YOU SO MUCH AND GOOD MORNING TO MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL SITTING MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL THANKS TO ALL OF YOU AND TO THOSE IN THE AUDIENCE FOR BEING WITH US TODAY. MY NAME FOR THE RECORD MY NAME IS JOSE FABIO MASSO AND I AM THE CHIEF OF THE HUMAN SERVICES CABINET. OUR CABINET COMPRISES OF SIX DEPARTMENTS INCLUDING THE EIGHT STRONG COMMISSION BOSTON CENTERS FOR YOUTH AND FAMILIES AND BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARIES ALL OF WHICH PROVIDE DIRECT SERVICES AND PROGRAMING TO OLDER ADULTS TOGETHER OUR CABINET STAFF THOUSANDS OF OLDER ADULTS IN THE CITY EACH YEAR PROVIDING SERVICES,  CONNECTION TO RESOURCES AND PROGRAMING IN EVERY NEIGHBORHOOD OF BOSTON.  WHEN YOU THINK OF OLDER ADULTS NO DOUBT YOU THINK OF AGE STRONG.  YOU THINK OF COMMISSIONER EMILY SHEA AND THE LEADERSHIP THAT SHE'S SHOWN OVER HER MANY YEARS OF SERVICE TO THE OLDER ADULTS OF BOSTON AND I'M SURE YOU ALSO THINK OF THE GREAT TEAM MEMBERS SHE HAS INCLUDING TY AND ALLISON WHO ARE HERE WITH US TODAY WHO LOOK FOR WAYS EVERY DAY TO IMPROVE THE LIVES OF BOSTON'S OLDER ADULTS. IN A MINUTE I WILL TURN IT OVER TO COMMISSIONER SHEA TO TALK MORE ABOUT ALL OF THE GOOD WORK OUR TEAM IS DOING.  BEFORE I DO I BRIEFLY WANT TO EMPHASIZE THAT OUR WHOLE CABINET IS STRIVING TOWARD MAKING OUR PROGRAMS AND SPACES MORE ACCESSIBLE TO OLDER ADULTS. IN ADDITION TO AGE STRONG BELIEF IN THE BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY ARE WORKING HARD TO BETTER MEET THE NEEDS OF BOSTON'S OLDER ADULT POPULATION. ABC YES, WE HAVE ADDED ENHANCED PROGRAMING FOR OLDER ADULTS IN A NUMBER OF SITES ACROSS THE CITY INCLUDING THE MILITARY COMMUNITY CENTER AS WAS MENTIONED IN THE HYDE PARK COMMUNITY CENTER.  WE WILL ALSO BE INTRODUCING SWIM LESSONS FOR OLDER ADULTS IN GROVE HALL IN THE NEXT MONTH AND AT THE BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY WE ARE ADDING AN AGE STRONG LIBRARIAN FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER AND WE CONTINUE TO GROW OUR OPTIONS FOR OLDER ADULTS LIKE QUILTING AND COMMON SQUARE THAN EVER TO LAY GROUP AT THE CENTRAL LIBRARY IN OUR TAKE HOME DEMENTIA ACTIVITY PACKETS IN ROSLINDALE. IN ADDITION WE ARE CERTIFYING ALL OF OUR LIBRARY BRANCHES AS AGE AND DEMENTIA FRIENDLY WITH THEY ARE HANDED OVER TO EMILY TO SAY MORE ABOUT THE WORK TO AGE STRONG IS DOING TO MEET THE NEEDS OF BOSTON'S OLDER ADULTS. THANK YOU.  THANK YOU. GREAT. THANKS SO MUCH CHIEF.  AND HELLO EVERYBODY. IT'S SO WONDERFUL TO SEE YOU ALL.  I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU ELEVATING THIS ISSUE AND ALSO I THINK WE PROBABLY HAVE SOME OLDER RESIDENTS WHO ARE WHO ARE AT HOME WATCHING THIS SO REALLY APPRECIATE KIND OF EVERYONE'S ADVOCACY AROUND THIS IMPORTANT ISSUE. SO AS AS YOU KNOW, OUR TEAM AT STRONG WORKS HARD EVERY DAY TO ENSURE THAT BOSTON'S OLDER ADULTS HAVE WHAT THEY NEED TO LIVE AND TO THRIVE IN THE CITY . AND THAT REALLY INCLUDES MANY THINGS BUT DEFINITELY ROBUST PROGRAMING. SO WE KNOW THAT OUR OLDER RESIDENTS ARE AT A MUCH HIGHER RISK THAN THE AVERAGE RESIDENT TO EXPERIENCE SOCIAL ISOLATION AND THAT SOCIAL ISOLATION HAS THE SAME HEALTH IMPACT AS SMOKING 15 CIGARETS A DAY. SO IT'S IT'S A BIG PROBLEM AND IT'S ONE THAT WE NEED TO ADDRESS.  ISOLATION IS DEADLY AND WE'VE WORKED HARD DURING THE RECOVERY PHASE OF THE PANDEMIC TO RESTORE SOCIAL CONNECTION AMONG OUR OLDER ADULT POPULATION. WE ALSO KNOW THAT OUR OLDER ADULTS ARE THE FASTEST GROWING POPULATION WITH THE LEADING AGE OF BABY BOOMERS ONLY BEING 78 YEARS OLD. THAT'S THAT'S THAT'S NOT VERY OLD IN MY BOOK. IT MIGHT BE OLDER IN SOME BOOKS BUT IN OUR FASTEST GROWING. SO WE'RE GOING TO SEE A SIGNIFICANT POPULATION INCREASE WITH OLDER ADULTS WITH OUR FASTEST GROWING POPULATION BEING THAT KIND OF 85 PLUS AND I CAN'T SEPARATE AND I KNOW YOU MENTIONED LIKE MULTIPLE GENERATIONS OF OLDER ADULTS THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT WHEN WE'RE THINKING ABOUT OUR OLDER RESIDENTS IS MULTIPLE GENERATIONS LOTS OF DIVERSITY AND HOW DO WE MEET THE NEEDS OF EVERYBODY THANKS TO LAST YEAR'S INVESTMENT IN SENIOR PROGRAMING AND WE VERY MUCH APPRECIATE THAT THIS YEAR WE ARE DOUBLING OUR EVENTS AND PROGRAMS TEAM THAT SUPPORTS THIS WORK CITYWIDE WE'RE PARTNERING WITH DCF TO GROW SENIOR PROGRAMING AND COMMUNITY CENTERS ACROSS BOSTON AND WE'RE RELEASING AND THIS SHOULD BE DONE IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS OUR THIRD YEAR OF EXPANDING ENGAGEMENT COMMUNITY GRANTS THAT ARE FOCUSED ON SOCIAL CONNECTION. THERE'S EXCITING THAT'S HAPPENING RIGHT NOW. SO THERE ARE THREE SITES ACROSS THE CITY THAT RECENTLY COMPLETED THEIR FIRST FULL YEAR OF PROGRAMING THE EAST BOSTON SENIOR CENTER WHICH IS RUN BY MY TEAM THE MILDRED SENIOR CENTER WHICH IS RUN BY CYF AND OF COURSE BARBARA AND ALMOST TO ALMOST COMPLETING THEIR FIRST YEAR WITH AN INVESTMENT THROUGH A STATE EARMARK THE ETHOS PILOT SENIOR CENTER IN THE WEST ROCKS AT THE WEST ROXBURY ELKS ALSO WE JUST RECEIVED $180,000 INVESTMENT FROM GODDARD HOUSE TO GROW THE INFRASTRUCTURE FOR CREATIVE AGING PROGRAMING ACROSS BOSTON AND WE'RE GOING TO BE HIRING CREATIVE AGING MANAGERS SO WE WANT TO JUST TO NOTE THAT TODAY BECAUSE WE'RE REALLY THRILLED FOR THIS PARTNERSHIP AND TO BUILD ON THE CREATIVE AGING PROGRAMS IN THE CITY AND WE'RE UPDATING OUR PLAN TO PROVIDE COORDINATION AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO EVERYONE FOCUSED ON SENIOR PROGRAMING ACROSS THE CITY AND ALSO WORKING ON A COMMUNICATIONS STRATEGY FOR THE PROGRAMING THAT CURRENTLY EXISTS BECAUSE YOU NOT ONLY NEED TO PROVIDE IT BUT PEOPLE NEED TO KNOW THAT THEY ACCESS IT. AND AS WE'RE ADDRESSING PRESENT NEEDS WE'RE ALSO PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE. IT'S OUR GOAL TO HAVE EVERY OLDER ADULT TO HAVE ACCESS TO THE OPPORTUNITIES TO KEEP ENGAGED AND FEEL A SENSE OF COMMUNITY AND.  TO THIS END WE'VE ENGAGED A CONSULTANT TO HELP US CREATE A STRATEGIC PLAN WHICH WILL ALLOW US TO PLAN BOTH FOR THE SHORT TERM AND ALSO FOR LONG TERM INVESTMENTS FOR PEOPLE 60 AND OLDER IN A THOUGHTFUL AND EQUITABLE WAY.  THE GOAL OF THIS CONTRACTING WORK IS TO MOVE OLDER ADULTS AS A WHOLE AND HIGH NEED SUBPOPULATIONS OF OLDER ADULTS SPECIFICALLY CLOSER TO THE ASPIRATION THAT EVERYONE HAS ACCESS TO AND COULD PARTICIPATE IN OPPORTUNITIES AND SPACES THAT NOURISH THEIR SOCIAL, PHYSICAL AND MENTAL NEEDS. IN THE CITY OF BOSTON EXPANDING PROGRAMING SERVICES AND SPACES FOR OLDER ADULTS EQUITABLY IS ONE OF OUR TOP PRIORITIES.  WE HAVE HEARD ANECDOTALLY THAT NOT ALL OLDER ADULTS LIVING IN BOSTON HAVE ACCESS TO THE KINDS OF HIGH QUALITY PROGRAMING AND SPACES THAT THEY NEED AND DESERVE.  THROUGH THIS ASSESSMENT WE'RE HOPING TO COLLECT DATA MAP OUR CURRENT INVESTMENTS AND THINK STRATEGICALLY ABOUT HOW TO EXPAND ACCESS AS FAIRLY AS POSSIBLE. WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH COUNCIL AND WITH OUR OLDER RESIDENTS AND ADVOCATES TO INFORM THE PROCESS AS IT ROLLS OUT AND NOW I WANT TO HAND IT OVER TO TYISHA JONES. WARNER WHO'S OUR DIRECTOR OF EVENTS AND PROGRAMS TO TALK IN MORE DETAIL ABOUT THE PROGRAMING WORK THAT WE CURRENTLY DO IN AGE STRONG AND THE CROSS-AGENCY WORK WE'VE BEEN DOING WITH BSO. I HAVE TO ACTIVATE THEIR SPACES FOR OLDER ADULTS.  THANK YOU CHIEF AND THANK YOU COMMISSIONER. I WANT TO EXPRESS MY SINCERE GRATITUDE TO THE BOSTON CITY COUNCIL FOR INVITING ME TO JOIN THIS PANEL DISCUSSION TO WEIGH IN ON A TOPIC THAT I'M EXTREMELY PASSIONATE ABOUT.  GROWING UP IN BOSTON I'VE SEEN FIRSTHAND HOW LONELINESS AND SOCIAL ISOLATION IMPACTS THE MENTAL HEALTH AND WELL-BEING OF MY LOVED ONES AND SO MANY OTHERS. I'VE ALSO SEEN HOW ACCESS TO MEANINGFUL ENGAGING PROGRAMING CAN TRANSFORM THE LIVES OF OLDER ADULTS BY PROVIDING SPACE TO GATHER OPPORTUNITY TO FORM RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHERS AND EVEN OFFER MEANINGFUL PURPOSE TO THOSE IN NEED TODAY I'M THRILLED TO SHARE THE INCREDIBLE WORK OUR STRONG TEAM AND PARTNERS ARE DOING TO ENGAGE OLDER ADULTS ACROSS THE CITY.  I'M GENUINELY EXCITED ABOUT THE WORK AND POSSIBILITIES AHEAD OF US TO CREATE A VARIETY OF EQUITABLE ACCESS TO PROGRAMING FOR OLDER ADULTS IN EVERY NEIGHBORHOOD OF BOSTON. THIS WORK ALSO INVOLVES CONNECTING WITH COMMUNITY AND COMMUNITY TO IDENTIFY THE TYPES OF PROGRAMS AND ACTIVITIES OUR OLDER ADULTS ARE INTERESTED IN. WE REALIZE THIS NOT A ONE SIZE FITS ALL SOLUTION THE AGE DRAWING COMMISSION IS COLLABORATING WITH PARTNERS ORGANIZES DOZENS OF SOCIAL EVENTS EACH YEAR. SAINT PATRICK'S DAY PARTIES ARE BLACK HISTORY MONTH EVENT OUR VOLUNTEER RECOGNITION AND SO MANY OTHERS.  IN ADDITION, WE KNOW THAT ONGOING PROGRAMING IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT AND SO THERE HAS BEEN AN EFFORT BUILD THAT OUT IN A MORE SUBSTANTIAL WAY ACROSS THE CITY.  THERE IS A LOT OF EXCITING WORK GOING ON IN OUR CITY RUN SENIORS DINNERS THROUGH AGE DRAWN IN BY CYF IN BRIGHTON GROVE HALL, CHARLESTOWN,  MATTAPAN AND EAST BOSTON DUE TO ITS POPULARITY WE HAVE CONTINUED OUR VIRTUAL PROGRAMS THAT WE STARTED DURING THE PANDEMIC AND WITH THE SUPPORT OF GOD IT HOUSE RECENTLY ADDED MORE GREAT CREATIVE AGING VIRTUAL PROGRAMS AND WE ARE WORKING TO ENHANCE THE IN-PERSON PROGRAMING OPTIONS THROUGHOUT THE CITY INCLUDING MINDFULNESS WORKSHOPS LIFELINE LIFE LONG LEARNING FITNESS AND ARTS PROGRAMS.  IN ADDITION, BCA IS IN THE PROCESS OF BUILDING OUT SENIOR PROGRAMING IN A NUMBER OF OTHER COMMUNITY CENTERS ACROSS THE CITY. MY TEAM IS A PARTNER IN THIS WORK SUPPORTING THESE CYF SITES NEEDED.  I'M EXCITED ABOUT WHAT IS TO COME AS WE CONTINUE TO BUILD ON THIS WORK.  I WANT TO SPEND A FEW MINUTES TODAY WITH ONE EXAMPLE EXAMPLE TO ILLUSTRATE THE IMPACT OF OUR PROGRAMS. BOB LINSCOTT AGE STRONG'S WELLNESS MANAGER HAS LED MINDFULNESS CLASSES ADDRESSING ANXIETY AND LONELINESS WHICH HAVE BEEN MAGNIFIED BY THE PANDEMIC SINCE THE INITIATIVES 2023 LAUNCH WE OFFERED OVER 100 PROGRAM AIMS IN 12 NEIGHBORHOODS SPANNING SENIOR CENTERS HEALTH CENTERS BFSI WHY HAVE COMMUNITY CENTERS ADULT DAY PROGRAMS AND BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY BRANCHES? WE'VE ALSO REACHED SPEAKING SPANISH OR SPANISH SPEAKING COMMUNITIES IN ROXBURY AND EAST BOSTON A CANTONESE COMMUNITY IN SOUTH BOSTON AND CAPE VERDEAN ELDERS IN DORCHESTER SERVING A TOTAL OF 686 DUPLICATED OLDER ADULTS ACROSS THE CITY.  I'M THRILLED TO BE A PART OF AGE OF THE STRONG COMMISSION TO WORK ALONGSIDE SOME OF THE MOST PASSIONATE PEOPLE AND TO SERVE SUCH A WONDERFUL DEMOGRAPHIC OUR OLDER ADULTS. THANK YOU AGAIN FOR THE TIME AND FOR SUPPORTING OUR MISSION AS A COLLECTIVE.  I'D LIKE TO TURN IT OVER TO MY COLLEAGUE ALISON FREEMAN. THANKS TY. GOOD MORNING EVERYONE AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ELEVATING THIS REALLY IMPORTANT TOPIC.  OVER THE PAST SIX YEARS I'VE BEEN OVERSEEING THE NEEDS ASSESSMENT PLANNING AND PARTNERSHIP WORK AT THE STRONG COMMISSION INCLUDING OUR GRANTMAKING.  WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT A LOT OF IMPORTANT THINGS TODAY AND YOU'VE HEARD THAT WE REALLY LOOK AT THIS AS A PUZZLE IS NOT ONLY WHAT AID STRONG IS ABLE TO PROVIDE AND WHAT PROGRAMING OUR CITY PARTNERS LIBRARIES SPEAK WITH AND EVEN POLICE AND PARKS COURT COORDINATE.  IT IS ALSO ALL THAT OUR AMAZING PARTNERS DO IN THE COMMUNITY OUR AGING SERVICE PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS ACROSS THE CITY HELP US TO DELIVER AND MEET THE UNIQUE NEEDS OF THE MANY SEGMENTS OF BOSTON'S DIVERSE COMMUNITIES. WE THINK ABOUT OUR WORK, OUR PARTNERS AS AN EXTENSION OF OUR OWN WORK AND BELIEVE THAT EACH IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF BOSTON'S OLDER ADULT SERVICE NETWORK. WE HAVE TO LOOK FULLY AT ALL OF THE WORK THAT WE DO AND THAT OUR PARTNERS DO TO TRULY UNDERSTAND THE VERY BIG PICTURE OF OLDER ADULT PROGRAMING IN BOSTON WE FUND OUR PARTNERS IN TWO WAYS THROUGH OUR FEDERAL OLDER AMERICANS ACT FUNDS AND MORE RECENTLY THROUGH OUR CITY OPERATING BUDGET THROUGH THE OLDER AMERICANS ACT WE FUND 16 COMMUNITY PARTNERS PARTNERS LIKE GREATER BOSTON CHINESE GOLDEN AGE CENTER, LITTLE FRIENDS OF THE ELDERLY AND THE SOUTH BOSTON NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSE AND THE AID TO RUN GROUP PROGRAMING LIKE EXERCISE CLASSES, ART WORKSHOPS AND OTHER RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES,  TECHNOLOGY CLASSES AND MORE.  IN ADDITION, WE HAVE SOME SPECIALIZED FUNDING FOR EVIDENCE BASED HEALTHY AGING PROGRAMS LIKE TAI CHI YOGA,  DIABETES SELF-MANAGEMENT AND FALL PREVENTION BEING RUN BY PARTNERS LIKE LA ALIANZA HISPANO AND ETHOS AND OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS WITH OLDER AMERICANS ACT ARPA DOLLARS WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO SUPPORT THE EXPANSION OF MUCH OF THIS PROGRAMING. WE'VE ALSO BEEN ABLE TO SIGNIFICANT INCREASE OUR WORK WITH PARTNERS THROUGH OUR EXPANDING ENGAGEMENT GRANT PROGRAM WHICH IS FUNDED THROUGH CITY CITY OPERATING DOLLARS.  WE WILL BE ANNOUNCING THIS YEAR'S GRANTS OUR THIRD YEAR OF THIS PROGRAM IN A FEW WEEKS WHILE OUR FEDERAL FUNDING IS COST REIMBURSEMENT AND CAN BE CHALLENGING FOR SOME SMALLER ORGANIZATIONS, WE LIKE TO THINK OF OUR EXPANDING ENGAGEMENT GRANTS AS LOW BARRIER GRANTS. THIS YEAR WE REDESIGNED THE PROGRAM WITH THREE TIERS OF GRANTS IN AN EFFORT TO MAKE THE FUNDING EVEN EASIER TO ACCESS FOR SMALL GROUPS WITH LESS INFRASTRUCTURE.  WE HAD 62 DIVERSE ORGANIZATIONS APPLY FOR THE FUNDING WHICH IS VERY EXCITING TO SEE. THANK YOU AGAIN FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT HERE TODAY WE ARE ON THE RIGHT PATH WITH THIS WORK BUT WE KNOW THERE IS A LOT OF WORK YET TO BE ACCOMPLISHED.  WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU. OUR CITY AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS AND OUR OLDER RESIDENTS AS WE MOVE FORWARD AND WE ARE HAPPY TO TAKE YOUR QUESTIONS. THANK YOU.  SO WE WILL START WITH QUESTIONS FROM.  MY COLLEAGUES THE FIRST ROUND WILL DO 3 MINUTES AND THEN WE'LL DEFINITELY HAVE A SECOND ROUND. WE DO WANT TO MAKE SURE WE GET TO SANTOS AND BARBARA CRICHLOW WILL BE THE SECOND PANEL ZOOMING IN.  SO WITH THAT I WILL GO TO COUNCILOR WEBER FOR HIS QUESTIONS.  THANK YOU GENTLEMEN. SO I THANK YOU.  CHAIR UM, I GUESS TO FOR BREVITY SAKE I JUST I'D LIKE TO TALK ABOUT THE THE NINE KEY CUTS IN THE STATE BUDGET. I DON'T KNOW WHO COMMISSIONER SHEA SO JUST TO WALK THROUGH THE THE CUTS YOU KNOW I'VE GOT A LIST THE FIRST ONE IS ELDER SUPPORT OF HOUSING. THERE'S BEEN A CUT OF $2.4 MILLION. DO YOU KNOW SO WHAT THAT REFERRING TO AND THEN HOW WILL THAT CUT IMPACT SERVICES IN BOSTON? SURE. SO THERE'S A SO AT THE STATE LEVEL THERE'S A PROGRAM CALLED ELDER SUPPORTIVE HOUSING IT ALLOWS THE ASSETS THE AGING SERVICE ACCESS POINTS LIKE ETHOS BOSTON SENIOR HOME CARE IN CENTRAL BOSTON TO APPLY TO THEN HAVE ALMOST LIKE A RESIDENT SERVICE COORDINATOR, AN ENHANCED RESIDENT SERVICE COORDINATOR OR MODEL IN A HOUSING BUILDING IN A IN A LOW INCOME PUBLIC HOUSING BUILDING . THERE ARE A COUPLE OF THOSE FUNDED IN BOSTON AND I THINK THERE'S THERE'S PROBABLY I KNOW THE NUMBERS THERE'S PROBABLY SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 20 AND 40 BUILDINGS IN SERVICE CORNERS THAT ARE FUNDED ACROSS THE STATE. THERE'S ONLY A FEW HERE IN BOSTON.  SO THAT LINE ITEM WAS AN EARMARK THAT ADVOCATES GOTTEN TO THE BUDGET TO EXPAND THAT PROGRAM.  AND SO THERE WAS NO THERE WASN'T PROGRAM EXPANSION FOR THIS YEAR.  OKAY. AND SO DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY PEOPLE WERE TALKING ABOUT ACROSS THE CITY? SO SO SO WHAT I WOULD SAY IS IF IF PROGRAMS HAVE BEEN EXPANDED ACROSS THE STATE THE STATE WOULD HAVE FIGURED OUT WHERE TO LOCATE THOSE AND HOPEFULLY OUR BOSTON ASSETS WOULD HAVE PUT FORWARD AN APPLICANT ATION AND THERE'S WOULD HAVE BEEN IN THE MIX. YEAH OKAY. YEAH. AND THEN THERE'S ANOTHER CUT OF 2.3 MILLION FROM ELDER PROTECTIVE SERVICES TO START WITH EXPLAINING YES SO SO SURE SO SO ELDER PROTECTIVE SERVICES IS THE PROGRAM THAT PEOPLE CAN ACCESS ACROSS THE STATE IF IF YOU ARE CONCERNED ABOUT ELDER ABUSE NEGLECT FINANCIAL EXPLOITATION REALLY IMPORTANT PROGRAM IT'S RUN IN BOSTON BY CENTRAL BOSTON ELDER SERVICES AND SO THERE WAS A CUT IN THAT PROGRAM AT THE STATE LEVEL. I THINK THAT I DON'T WANT TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF THE STATE. I THINK THAT THEY DONE PROJECTIONS AND THEY THOUGHT LESS MONEY WAS GOING TO BE NEEDED IN THAT LINE ITEM. I DON'T KNOW THE ADVOCATES FELT THE SAME WAY SO BUT YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT IT WHAT TO NOTE FOR THAT IS THAT PEOPLE SHOULD CONTINUE TO REFER CASES OF ELDER ABUSE, NEGLECT AND FINANCIAL EXPLOITATION AND THEY WILL CONTINUE TO BE INVESTIGATED. OKAY. AND THEN THE NEXT ONE IS HOME CARE SERVICES WHICH IS THAT THE HOME HEALTH AIDE YEAH SO HOME CARE SERVICES ARE IS THE MONEY SO SO THAT SPECIFIC LINE ITEM I THINK IS THE MONEY THAT OUR ACE APS ETHOS CENTRAL BOSTON AND BOSTON SENIOR WHO EACH COVER A PORTION OF OF THE CITY IT'S THE MONEY THAT THEY HAVE TO PROVIDE IN-HOME PACKAGES FOR PEOPLE SO IN-HOME SUPPORT PACKAGES AND SO AGAIN I THINK THE STATE DID A PROJECTION AND DIDN'T THINK AS MUCH MONEY WOULD BE NEEDED IN THAT LINE ITEM. I THINK ADVOCATES DON'T FEEL THE SAME WAY SO BUT BUT THERE ARE SOME WAITING LISTS ACROSS THE STATE FOR PROGRAMS LIKE THAT. A LOT OF THOSE ARE HAVE TO DO WITH WORKFORCE ISSUES. OKAY. AND THEN WHAT IS CONGREGATE HOUSING THAT'S THE NEXT SHORT SO IT'S AGAIN ANOTHER STATE LINE ITEM THAT SUPPORTS ADD ANOTHER MODEL OF SUPPORT IN BUILDINGS AND THERE ARE I BELIEVE THERE ARE TWO CONGREGATE HOUSING BUILDINGS THAT ARE PART OF THAT PROGRAM ACROSS THE STATE. I MEAN I THINK WHAT WE CAN ON THESE PROGRAMS IS THAT THAT THERE THERE IS A GOOD AMOUNT OF STATE INVESTMENT IN OLDER ADULT WORK THAT THERE'S NOT ENOUGH INVESTMENT IN TERMS OF THE SUPPORT THAT PEOPLE NEED IN BUILDINGS AS THEY GROW OLDER AND MORE INVESTMENT IS NEEDED IN THAT AREA. OKAY. JUST LAST QUICK QUICK ONE. I'M OVER MY 3 MINUTES BUT JUST THE THE ELDER NUTRITION PROGRAM CAN YOU EXPLAIN WHAT THAT IS? SURE. SO THAT'S THE THAT'S A PROGRAM THAT PROVIDES BOTH MEALS ON WHEELS AND THESE COMMUNITY CAFES THAT YOU SEE ACROSS THE CITY. AND I THINK FOR FOLKS THAT ARE LISTENING THEY CAN ACCESS THESE SERVICES ESPECIALLY THE COMMUNITY CAFES YOU CAN ACCESS FOR A MEAL FOR $2 A SUGGESTED DONATION OF $2. SO THERE REALLY IMPORTANT ADVOCATES BELIEVE THAT MORE MONEY WAS NEEDED FOR THAT PROGRAM AND WERE ABLE TO GET AN EARMARK IN THE STATE BUDGET AND THAT EARMARK WAS CUT SO.  THERE'S NOT AS MUCH MONEY THERE'S NOT AS MUCH FUNDING FOR THAT PROGRAM AS ADVOCATES BELIEVE THERE NEEDS TO BE AND JUST SAY THAT'S ON THE STATE BUDGET. THAT'S ON THE STATE BUDGET,  CORRECT? YEAH. THANK YOU. AWESOME. THANK YOU. WE'LL COME BACK TO COUNCIL . THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. AGAIN, THANK YOU TO THE PANELISTS FOR FOR BEING HERE. AND MY FIRST QUESTION IS REGARDING AN ACTUAL BUILDING AND AS I MENTIONED EARLIER THERE THERE ISN'T A SENIOR CENTER IN MY DISTRICT SO I THINK MY FIRST QUESTION I KNOW AND I OWE IT TO THE RESIDENTS IS THERE A PLAN OF DOWN THE LINE TO GET A SENIOR CENTER IN SOUTHWESTERN PART OF BOSTON?  YOU KNOW, BUT SPECIFICALLY IN MY NEIGHBORHOODS MATTAPAN HIGH PARK AND ROSLYN THAT YEAH I MEAN SO SO WHAT I WOULD SAY IS THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS THAT WE'RE DOING THIS STUDY TO LOOK AT SPACES WE KNOW THAT WE DO NEED A PLAN, PEOPLE NEED A PLACE TO GATHER AND A PLACE TO GO.  WE DO HAVE A LOT OF CITY SPACES THAT ARE UNDERUTILIZED FOR FOR PARTS OF THE DAY AND SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO WITH THIS STUDY AND TIF I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANT TO SAY ANYTHING ELSE ABOUT THIS BUT BECAUSE IT'S ACTUALLY BEING RUN AT THE HUMAN SERVICES LEVEL WHICH I THINK IS GREAT BECAUSE YOU KNOW WE ALL NEED TO BE THINKING ABOUT THIS LIKE LIKE SOME OF YOU ARE SAYING BUT THIS I THINK WILL GIVE US OUR INITIAL LOOK AT KIND OF WHAT SPACES COULD BE ACTIVATED, HOW DO WE PLAN FOR THAT AND THEN HOW DO WE CREATE THE LONGER TERM PLAN BECAUSE A NEW BUILDING IS IT HAS A LONG TIME FRAME AND IS EXPENSIVE AND AS WE KNOW, PEOPLE RIGHT NOW NEED PROGRAMS UP AND RUNNING. SO FOR EXAMPLE IN HYDE PARK I KNOW THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING TIES GROUP HAS BEEN DOING A LOT OF WORK IN HYDE PARK WITH SOME OF THE ARPA DOLLARS THAT WERE PUT INTO THE BUDGET TO TRY TO TRY TO GET ADDITIONAL PROGRAMS UP AND RUNNING WITH THE WITH THE HYDE PARK COMMUNITY CENTER ETHOS HAS ALSO BEEN DOING SOME WORK AT THE HYDE PARK COMMUNITY CENTER THAT'S PARTIALLY FUNDED THROUGH THE GRANTS THAT WE'RE WE THINK THAT WE GIVE THEM. SO IT'S IT'S KIND OF THIS PUZZLE WE NEED TO GET STUFF UP AND RUNNING NOW BUT WE ALSO NEED TO AND WE NEED TO LOOK AT SPACES THAT CAN BE ACTIVATED OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS BUT WE ALSO NEED TO LOOK AT WHAT THE LARGER LONG TERM PLAN IS. THANK YOU AND I GUESS I'LL GIVE YOU GUYS A LITTLE IDEA MAYBE SO THE SUMMER SCHOOL BUILDING WILL BE VACANT EVENTUALLY AND ROSLINDALE IT'S IT'S AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AT THE MOMENT BUT THEY'RE ABOUT TO MERGE WITH ANOTHER SCHOOL AND THEY'RE GOING INTO THE IRVING URBAN SCHOOL BUILDING ON CUMMINS HIGHWAY. SO THAT BUILDING WILL BE EMPTY AND IT'S A CITY CITY OWNED BUILDING SO THAT COULD POTENTIALLY BE A SITE FOR A SENIOR CENTER.  AND THEN MY LAST MY MY LAST IF I MAY IS REGARDING SENIOR CENTER INTERESTED IN APPLYING FOR THOSE SENIOR HOUSING CONDOS. I'VE GOTTEN A LOT OF INTEREST IN THEM AND I KNOW THAT YOU KNOW SPECIFICALLY IN HYDE PARK IN MY OPINION DO THEY LIVE IN BIGGER HOUSES AND MANY RESIDENTS HAVE HAVE EXPRESSED BE INTERESTED IN ONE OF THOSE NEWER CONDOS WHERE IT'S IT'S SMALLER AND THEY JUST WANT TO LIVE CLOSER TO THE SQUARES. ARE THERE ANY PROGRAMS THAT YOU ALL OFFER TO HELP RESIDENTS APPLY FOR FOR THOSE NEW BUILDINGS?  YEAH, WE DO WE DO HAVE A HOUSING TEAM DOWNSTAIRS THAT CAN HELP THAT CAN HELP FOLKS APPLY. I WILL SAY THAT OUR HOUSING TEAM IS FOCUSED ON A LOT OF KIND OF CRISIS ISSUES LIKE EVICTIONS AND KIND OF WORKING WITH THE OFFICE OF HOUSING AND WITH OUR WE SOME WORK AT GREATER BOSTON LEGAL SERVICES TOO TO WORK ON THOSE KIND OF REALLY CRITICAL ISSUES. WE ALSO DO HELP WITH APP ACCESS, HELP WITH APPLICATIONS KIND OF AS WE'RE ABLE TO DO THAT. YEAH AND I THINK ALL OF THOSE BUILDINGS HAVE LOTTERIES AND WE WOULD DEFINITELY ENCOURAGE FOLKS TO REACH OUT AND GET CONNECTED TO THOSE LOTTERIES. ABSOLUTELY.  THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OH, I'M SORRY . CAN I ADD ONE OTHER THING? I WOULD JUST SAY THAT THE PRIDE THAT'S OPENING UP HAS I THINK A 10,000 SQUARE FOOT SENIOR CENTER THAT'S GOING TO BE IN IT, WHICH IS REALLY EXCITING AND WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO PARTNERING WITH THEM.  THANK YOU FOR THAT. IT'S GOOD TO KNOW. THANK YOU. COUNCIL PRESIDENT LOUIJEUNE Q AND I WANT TO THANK MY COLLEAGUES FOR ASKING REALLY GREAT QUESTIONS.  I JUST HAVE THREE. ONE IS I KNOW THAT THERE ARE GRANTS CURRENTLY GRANT APPLICATIONS CURRENTLY OUT.  IF YOU CAN TELL US WHAT THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT THAT THE AGENCY OR AN ORGANIZATION CAN RECEIVE FROM THOSE GRANTS. THE SECOND YOU TOUCHED ON IT A BIT AND WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS A NUMBER OF TIMES AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HOW TO ALLOCATE RESOURCES IF YOU COULD TALK ABOUT HOW AN EQUITY LENS A RACIAL EQUITY LINE SPECIFICALLY INFORMS YOUR WORK AND HOW YOU ALLOCATE RESOURCES ON THESE ISSUES. AND THEN THIRD IS I'M NOT SURE IF YOU HAVE IT NOW OR WE'RE GOING TO MAYBE HAVE A HEARING THAT'S MORE SPECIFIC BUT THOSE ARPA DOLLARS AGAIN I'M REALLY GLAD TO HEAR THAT THERE IS I'M GLAD TO HEAR THAT THEY ARE BEING USED IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD OF HYDE PARK. BUT WOULD LOVE TO GET LIKE AN ACCOUNTING OF WHAT'S LEFT AND THAT I BELIEVE WE BOUGHT FOR I THERE'S $125,000. HOW MUCH OF THAT HAS BEEN USED ? I'M JUST THINKING ABOUT THE ADVOCACY THAT WE'VE HEARD FROM CERTAINLY FROM SENIORS WANT AND WANT TO COMBINE SORT OF WHAT'S REMAINING WITH SORT OF WHAT YOUR WITH THE EQUITY LENS IS AND ALSO SORT OF WHAT'S OPEN FOR THE GRANTS ARE TRYING TO PIECE THAT PUZZLE TOGETHER FOR FOLKS WHO ARE WATCHING FOLKS YOU KNOW THAT THEY ADVOCATED ALONG SOMEWHERE ELSE FOR THAT MONEY IS WHERE DOES IT STAND? YEAH, SURE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR THAT. SO THE THE TOP AMOUNT FOR THOSE GRANTS IS $50,000 AND WE AS I SAID, WE HAD THREE KIND OF LEVELS OF GRANTS SO WE HAD UNDER 9999 THE KIND OF 10,019 19,999 AND THEN THE 20,000 SEE LIKE MY MY TEAM KNOWS EVERYTHING I FOR THAT ARPA DOLLARS I THINK CAN GET BACK TO YOU AND LET YOU KNOW THERE'S A NUMBER OF INSTRUCTORS RIGHT THAT ARE ON THE HOUR BUT THAT ARE LIKE AS ARE COMING OUT OF ARPA FUNDS DO YOU ARE ALL I KNOW HYDE PARK WE HAVE SOME ART CLASSES OF THE GUITAR SESSIONS SO WE'VE BEEN ACTIVELY USING THAT MONEY TO SUPPORT THESE CLASSES BUT WE CAN GET BACK TO YOU WITH AN ACCOUNTING OF IT AND I WOULD SAY IT WAS 100,000 FOR CITYWIDE 25,000 SPECIFICALLY FOR THE NASIRA WHICH IS WHY THERE'S SOME SOME STUFF UP AND RUNNING AT HOUR AS WELL AND THEN I WOULD SAY IN TERMS OF AN EQUITY LENS, I MEAN I THINK WE HAVE TO BRING THAT TO EVERYTHING THAT WE'RE DOING. OUR OLDER WE HAVE SUCH A DIVERSE OLDER ADULT POPULATION AND GROWING MORE AND MORE DIVERSE AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT WE'RE THINKING ABOUT THAT AS WE'RE THINKING ABOUT ALL OF OUR WORK. I THINK I'VE MENTIONED I MENTIONED THIS IN A IN A PREVIOUS HEARING BUT WE ARE REALLY EXCITED TO BE LAUNCHING OUR COMMUNITY AMBASSADOR PROGRAM THIS YEAR. WE JUST WE JUST HIRED THE WOMAN THAT'S GOING TO KIND OF OVERSEE THAT WORK AND WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH UMASS AND SPECIFICALLY WITH THE THE UMASS GERONTOLOGY INSTITUTE AND THE CANADA ECONOMIC GROUP AT UMASS WHICH IS KIND OF A NUMBER OF THEIR ETHNIC INSTITUTES THEY WORKED ON AT EQUITY REPORT FOR US FOR OLDER ADULTS IN BOSTON AND THEN BASED OFF OF THAT WORK THEY DID A NUMBER OF FOCUS GROUPS WITH ACROSS DIVERSE COMMUNITIES IN BOSTON AND THAT THAT WORK HAS IS HELPING US TO SHAPE THIS COMMUNITY AMBASSADOR PROGRAM WHERE WE'RE WE ARE GOING TO BE HIRING 15 PEOPLE 10 HOURS A WEEK FROM DIVERSE COMMUNITIES TO HELP US BRIDGE TO THE COMMUNITY AND FIGURE OUT HOW WE CAN BE COMMUNICATING BOTH HOW WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT FOLKS ARE GETTING ACCESS TO WHAT ALREADY EXISTS BUT ALSO HOW WE CAN DO A BETTER JOB KIND OF UNDERSTANDING COMMUNITY NEEDS AND KIND OF SHAPING SHAPING THE PROGRAMS THAT PEOPLE ARE GOING TO NEED IN THE FUTURE. SO SO WE'RE EXCITED TO TO START THAT WORK.  I MEAN IT'S ONLY THE I WOULD SAY IT'S IT'S A SMALL PIECE OF WHAT WE NEED TO ACCOMPLISH. I JUST SEE TONS OF WORK FOR US IN THIS AREA.  THANK YOU. CHIEF, WAS THAT NO. OKAY.  OH, CHIEF, PLEASE. YEAH. NO, NO. I WANT TO THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER, AND JUST WANT TO UPLIFT RONALD LAMMY WHO'S ALWAYS WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH MY OFFICE TO TALK ABOUT MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE THE RACIAL EQUITY LENS IS VERY CLEAR ON THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING FOR PROGRAMING FOR OUR SENIORS. SO THANK YOU FOR FOR THOSE ANSWERS AND I HOPE THAT YOU KNOW, WITH 90 CUTS THAT WE'RE ABLE TO TAKE FROM THAT LIKE ALL RIGHT, DO WE MAXIMIZE HOW MUCH A GRANT THAT SOMEONE CAN GET? DO WE LOOK AT WHAT OUR ARPA FUNDING LEFTOVER TO SUPPORT PROGRAMS THAT PEOPLE ARE REALLY ADVOCATING FOR THAT I KNOW THAT MY COLLEAGUES WANT TO SEE AS WELL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. WE'VE BEEN JOINED BY COUNCILOR DURKAN. THANK YOU COUNCILOR CARLA.  THANK YOU CHAIR AND THANK YOU TO MY COLLEAGUES FOR ASKING REALLY GREAT THOUGHTFUL QUESTIONS.  I, I WAS GOING TO FRAME MINE AROUND FUNDING SOURCES BUT WE'VE WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THAT I WAS GOING TO ASK ABOUT ARPA BUT THINKING ABOUT ANY FUNDING GAPS AND HOW WE MIGHT FILL THEM JUST THINKING ABOUT HOW HOW AS TO COUNCILMAN HE IS POINT WE ARE RESOURCE RICH BUT COORDINATION FOR HAS THERE BEEN ANY OUTREACH DONE OR INTEREST FROM SOME OF OUR PRIVATE SECTOR PARTNERS OR PHILANTHROPIC PARTNERS WITHIN THIS SPACE YOU DON'T REALLY HEAR ABOUT CERTAIN FOUNDATIONS.  I'M NOT GOING TO NAME THEM REALLY GETTING INTO SENIOR CARE BUT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT OF COURSE WE'RE ALL TALKING ABOUT TODAY BUT IS AT THE FOREFRONT OF FOLKS MINDS AS THEY START TO AGE AND THINKING ABOUT MY PARENTS BUT WONDERING IF THERE'S BEEN ANY OUTREACH DONE TO SOME OF OUR PRIVATE PARTNERS IN THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY OR PHILANTHROPIC ORGANIZATIONS.  RIGHT. SO SO I THINK THAT AS AS CHIEF AND I HAVE BEEN HAVING CONVERSATIONS ABOUT KIND OF THE VISION FOR THIS OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS BECAUSE IT'S ONE OF THEIR STRATEGIC PRIORITIES IN HUMAN SERVICES SPECIFICALLY LIKE AS A AS A CABINET Y PRIORITIES.  WE'VE BEEN WE'VE BEEN CHATTING A LOT ABOUT IT AND WE KNOW THAT LEVERAGING ALL OF THE RESOURCES AND FIGURING OUT HOW ALL OF THAT IS COORDINATED IS REALLY THE KEY TO ALL OF THIS, RIGHT? BECAUSE WE CAN WE CAN LEVERAGE AS MANY CITY RESOURCES AS WE CAN AND AS MANY FEDERAL AND STATE FUNDS AS WE CAN. BUT WE KNOW THAT WE'RE GOING TO NEED ADDITIONAL STRATEGIC PARTNERS TO REALLY MAKE THIS VISION COME TRUE AND THAT'S REALLY WHERE WHERE I THINK I WITH CHIEF'S LEADERSHIP WE CAN WE CAN TACKLE THAT BECAUSE WE HAVE PARTNERS LIKE GODDARD HOUSE WHO'S WHO'S BEEN A WONDERFUL PARTNER WITH US AND I THINK BUT I THINK WE NEED MORE PARTNERS LIKE THAT WHO ARE WILLING TO INVEST AND WILLING TO TAKE KIND OF A A LOOK AT US ACROSS THE CITY AT ALL THE NEEDS.  AND I THINK THAT THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE DOING THIS WORK ACROSS THE CITY BUT THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE CAN REALLY BE SO GOOD AT BECAUSE WE'RE SEEING THE WHOLE PICTURE IS REALLY HOW DO WE ENGAGE STRATEGIC PARTNERS AND KIND OF LEVERAGE THEM ACROSS THE CITY FOR THIS PLAN?  RIGHT. AND IS THERE JUST A FOLLOW UP QUESTION ON THAT? SO THERE'S SO MANY LONG TERM HOLISTIC PLANNING THAT'S HAPPENING IN THE CITY.  I KNOW THAT WE HAVE A DIRECTOR OF STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS WHO IS ACTIVELY WORKING ON THIS THE PLANNING ADVISORY COUNCIL . CATHERINE LUSK IS THE MONORAIL BETWEEN DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WE SPEND OUR MONEY ON AND THAT'S MORE CITY SIDE AND CITY RESOURCES. BUT I WOULD LOVE TO SEE BECAUSE I THINK YOU JUST ANSWERED WHAT YOU ALL ARE DOING BUT WOULD LOVE TO SEE IT MORE COORDINATED EFFORT WITH THOSE INDIVIDUALS TO TRY TO TO TRY TO JUST GET MORE INVESTMENT INTO OUR H STRONG COMMISSION AND THROUGH YOUR YOUR CABINET CHIEF.  AND THEN MY LAST QUESTION IS JUST AROUND TRANSPORTATION WHICH WE KNOW IS ACCESS AND CONNECTIVITY. CAN YOU SPEAK TO WHAT YOUR BUDGET IS AROUND THAT AND IF THERE'S ANY INTENTION OR EFFORTS TO PROVIDE MORE TRANSPORTATION FOR OUR SENIORS BECAUSE AS WE KNOW SOME OF THEM DO TAKE THE T BUT I WOULDN'T TAKE THE BUS BUT IT IS FAIRLY DIFFICULT TO GET TO THESE PLACES OF COMMUNITY WITHOUT HAVING A RIDE OR A BUS TAKE THEM THERE SO CAN YOU JUST SPEAK A LITTLE BIT TO THAT? SURE. I DON'T THINK I CAN SPEAK TO EXACTLY OUR TRANSPORTATION BUDGET BUT WE CAN GET BACK TO YOU WITH THOSE NUMBERS. WHAT I WILL SAY IS THAT WE HAVE 21 DRIVER POSITIONS AT THE SHUTTLE AS WAS KIND OF SCHEDULING AND SUPPORT STAFF AND THAT WHOLE SHUTTLE BUDGET IS FUNDED THROUGH THE CITY OPERATING BUDGET. IN ADDITION WE USE SOME EXTERNAL FUNDS TO FUND KIND OF OUR TAXI COUPON MANAGER WHO GOES AROUND TO SELL THE TAXI COUPONS IN THE CITY AND WE ARE WITH SOME SOME OF THE MONEY THAT COUNCIL ADDED TO OUR BUDGET FOR LAST YEAR WE OR FOR THIS YEAR WE ARE WORKING TO GET KIND OF A SMALL RIDE SHARE PILOT UP AND RUNNING. SO WE WORK A LOT WITH SHUTTLES. WE WORK A LOT WITH TAXIS BUT WE HAVEN'T WORKED WITH RIDESHARE.  SO WE'RE WE'RE WE'RE THINKING ABOUT GETTING A SMALL PILOT UP AND RUNNING BEFORE THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR. MELISSA CARLSON ON OUR TEAM HAS BEEN DOING A BUNCH OF RESEARCH WORK AROUND KIND OF WHAT OTHER FOLKS ARE DOING IN THIS AREA.  SO IT'S OUR GOAL IN THE FUTURE TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE MORE RIDES ON OUR SHUTTLE TO BE ABLE TO MODERNIZE OUR TAXICAB ONE PROGRAM TO BE ABLE TO SEE WHERE KIND OF RIDE SHARE FITS INTO IT ALL WE WE NEED TO KIND OF I GUESS RE-ENVISION AND CREATE A PLAN FOR TRANSPORTATION FOR OLDER ADULTS. WE KNOW THEY NEED TO GET FROM POINT A TO POINT B WE KNOW THAT ACCESS IS HUGE ESPECIALLY FOR THESE PROGRAMS AND LOTS OF OTHER THINGS.  AND SO WE'RE WE'RE ACTIVELY TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE DO IT. THANK YOU. AND I LAUGHED OUT OF THIS REALLY QUICK. I LAUGHED OUT OF RELIEF AND ALSO GRATITUDE BECAUSE THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT FOR HOW MANY YEARS NOW.  SO JUST TO HEAR THAT IT'S OFF UP OFF THE GROUND IS GREAT. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU.  YOU'RE AWESOME. THANK YOU, COUNCILOR OPERATOR. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. THANK YOU ALL.  LET'S SEE WHERE WE WANT TO GO.  SO YOU MENTIONED CITY PARTNERS. I WAS WONDERING AS THE CHAIR OF THE PILOT COMMITTEE I WAS WONDERING ABOUT ARE WE ACTIVELY WORKING WITH SO MANY OF OUR BIG NON-PROFITS IN THE CITY OR HOSPITALS AND OUR UNIVERSITIES AND COLLEGES AND NONPROFIT CULTURAL ORGANIZATIONS TO DEVELOP OPPORTUNITIES FOR SCREENING AND AND MEDICAL SCREENING OR OR PREVENTATIVE CARE BUT ALSO MAYBE LIFELONG LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES TOO BECAUSE THERE'S SO MANY FOLKS WOULD BRING A LOT YOU KNOW, IT'S A TWO WAY STREET IN MANY WAYS HAVING ELDERS PARTICIPATE IN A HISTORY CLASS WHERE THEY CAN TALK ABOUT THE HISTORY THEY LIVED IT. SO I'M JUST WONDERING IN TERMS OF THOSE SORT OF BEYOND THE CITY PARTNERS PIECE, ARE WE LOOKING AT PARTNERSHIPS BEYOND THAT GIVEN THAT WE ARE WE'RE GOING TO HIT A TSUNAMI OF AGING ELDERS? THIS IS WHEN THE BABY BOOMERS ALL SORT OF START AGING.  THEY'RE AGING THOUGH WHEN THEY WHEN WE HIT THE PEAK OF THAT AND THEN THE NEXT GENERATION COMING IN BEHIND, WE'VE GOT A LOT TO DEAL WITH. YES.  YES. THE NUMBERS ARE PRETTY INCREDIBLE WHEN I'VE SEEN THEM. I KNOW BPA IS GOING TO DO A KIND OF PRESENTATION ON PROJECTIONS ON FRIDAY AND I WAS GOING TO TALK ABOUT THEM TODAY BUT I SAW THE 20 TO 25 NUMBER AND I WAS LIKE I NEED TO CONFIRM THAT THIS IS CORRECT BEFORE I SAY IT OUT LOUD.  SO I THINK THOSE ARE THOSE ARE CRITICAL PARTNERS. IT'S BEEN IT'S BEEN PART OF WHAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT. RIGHT. I THINK WE NEED TO NOT ONLY LEVERAGE THAT FUNDING, WE NEED TO NOT ONLY LEVERAGE LIKE PARTNERS THAT HAVE FUNDING BUT ALSO LEVERAGE ALL OF THOSE RICH RESOURCES THAT BOSTON HAS THAT YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT THAT YOU KNOW, WE DO I WOULD SAY WE DO ONE OFF PARTNERSHIPS WITH HOSPITALS AND UNIVERSITIES BUT WE'D LIKE TO BE A LOT MORE STRATEGIC ABOUT HOW WE'RE HOW WE'RE UTILIZING THEM AND ALSO KIND OF LEVERAGE THEM FOR PROGRAMS ACROSS THE CITY. YEAH, YOU KNOW THIS B.C HAS A CENTER FOR AGING MORE LOOKING AT THE FINANCIAL CHALLENGES OF AGING AND THEN OF GERONTOLOGY OVER THAT'S MORE OF THE ACADEMIC ANALYSIS BUT ALSO THINKING ABOUT JUST THE CULTURAL AND ENRICHMENT OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE HAVE ALSO THE B.C. WAY IF WE HAVE ONE SENIOR CENTER IN ALLSTON BRIGHTON WHICH WE'RE VERY PROUD OF AND THEN WE HAVE ONE B.C. WYETH CENTER WHICH IS MOVING TO THE HIGH SCHOOL IN THE ARPA CONVERSATION THIS IS MAYBE SOMETHING CHIEF MENTOR SHOULD FOLLOW UP ON.  WE WE WE PUT WE EARMARKED LIKE WE GOT A MILLION DOLLARS FROM ARPA TO SET ASIDE TO PREPARE SPACE FOR THE RELOCATION OF THE B.C. WAVE CENTER WHEN IT MOVED TO A NEW LOCATION AND I THINK WE WERE LANDING AT BRIGHTON HIGH SCHOOL AND I'M JUST WONDERING HOW THAT MONEY HAS BEEN SPENT IN TERMS OF PREPARING IT.  I THINK ONE THING THAT THE AUDITORIUM AND BRIGHTON HIGH SCHOOL AS A SPACE NEEDS SOME LOVE AND WE WERE HOPING THAT THAT WOULD BE DEVELOPED AS A COMMUNITY SPACE THAT YOU KNOW SENIOR PROGRAMING MIGHT BE ABLE TO BE DEVELOPED AND AND A COMMUNITY SPACE. I'M COGNIZANT OF THE TIME AFTER AND OVER TIME. OH SO I'M REALLY EXCITED YOU WERE AT THE OPENING OF THE J.J. CARROLL BUILDING A FEW WEEKS AGO CUTTING THE RIBBON AND THE PEACE CENTER.  I THINK THAT'S A HUGE ASSET BUT WE HAVE A HUGE DEMAND SO I THINK IT'S ALL GOING TO BE USED UP PRETTY QUICKLY. BUT THE PEACE CENTER THAT PROVIDES WRAPAROUND AND MULTIDISCIPLINARY CARE FOR ELDERS SO WE'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THAT AND WE JUST THINKING ABOUT ADDITIONAL STRATEGIC PARTNERS AND AND ALL OF THIS STUFF THAT WE'RE LEAVING ON THE TABLE THAT'S LESS THAT'S MAXIMIZE OUR BENEFITS FROM THAT. MADAM CHAIR, I'M CONSCIOUS OF RUNNING OUT OF TIME SO THANK YOU AND THANK YOU COUNCILOR FOR THANK YOU MADAM CHAIR SORRY ACHIEVEMENTS ARE YOU MENTIONED SWIMMING LESSONS IN GROVE HALL.  CAN YOU TELL ME WHERE SHORT SIGHTED THE GROWTH OF SENIOR CENTER BUT THE LESSONS OH BUT WHERE ARE THE LESSONS GOING TO BE TAKING PLACE? SO THAT'S WHERE THE OLDER ADULTS WILL BE COMING FROM. BUT AT THE CROC OH SO OH THAT'S NIAGARA FALLS. BUT NO NO. WHAT I'M SAYING IS THAT THE OLDER ADULTS WILL BE TRANSPORTED FROM THE SENIOR CENTER IN GROVE HALL TO THE KROC CENTER. OKAY. YEAH. SO THAT'S WHERE WE'LL BE TAKE EXCUSE ME . I'M SORRY YOU'VE DONE OKAY. I WAS LIKE I WANT TO SWIM IN GROVE HALL.  THANK YOU. I HAVE THE HOW MANY SENIOR CENTERS EXIST DO WE KNOW YET? SO SO THERE ARE FOUR OR FIVE I WOULD SAY SO SENIOR CENTER I THINK IS KIND OF FUNNY WORD RIGHT NOT THE PRIORITY SO ONES BUT THE THERE ARE CITYWIDE WHAT I WOULD SAY IS THERE ARE THERE ARE FOUR SENIOR CENTERS THAT ARE THAT ARE THERE ARE FOUR SPACES IN THE CITY THAT ARE SOLELY FOR SENIOR PROGRAMING THERE'S A SENIOR CENTER THAT ALSO RUNS AT THE MILDRED A COUPLE OF DAYS A WEEK THAT STARTED THIS WEEK. SO THE MILDRED ALSO HAS ACTIVITIES FOR OUR YOUTH BUT IT'S A BUT IT'S BUT THEY'RE RUNNING SENIOR PROGRAMING DURING THE DAY AND THEN WE HAVE A NUMBER OF COMMUNITY PARTNERS THAT ALSO RUN WHAT THEY WOULD AND WE WOULD CONSIDER SENIOR CENTERS BUT THEY RUN THEM VARYING DAYS OF THE WEEK DEPENDING ON THE AMOUNT OF FUNDING THAT THEY HAVE. AND THAT'S THAT'S WHAT THE STUDY IS GOING TO SHOW, RIGHT. LIKE HOW MANY PARTNERS BOB'S OC IS AND AND ADDITIONAL SPACES SO AND I WOULD SAY THAT A LOT OF OUR PARTNERS USE OUR PROGRAMING BUT ALSO FUNDRAISE FOR ADDITIONAL PROGRAMS.  SO LIKE TINY SCHOOL NATURE CENTER HAS TWO SENIOR CENTERS RUNNING FIVE DAYS A WEEK BABYSITTING AND MATTAPAN RUN SENIOR PROGRAMING. ONE DAY I SAID THANK YOU OF YOUR LIKE SO HOW FAR HAVE YOU GOTTEN TO YOUR STUDY AND HAVE YOU GOTTEN FAR ENOUGH TO KNOW YOU MENTIONED ABOUT WHO HAS ACCESS AND WHO DOESN'T IN TERMS OF LIKE EQUITY AND LENDS DO YOU KNOW WHO HAS ACCESS AND WHO DOESN'T? I MEAN I THINK WE COULD I THINK WE COULD GUESS BUT THE STUDY IS JUST STARTING SO THAT THEY'RE FINALIZING THEIR CONTRACT SO THEY HAVEN'T STARTED THE WORK YET.  GOT IT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. AND WHAT WERE YOUR BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE MAYOR FOR THIS YEAR? FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 25?  YEAH, SURE. SO I, I BECAUSE WE ARE STILL BUILDING OUT TY'S TEAM AND WE SHOULD HAVE THAT IN PLACE HOPEFULLY BY THE END OF THIS MONTH. I THINK SHE'LL HAVE A SHE'LL HAVE A FULL TEAM AND WE THINK THERE'S SOME WE KNOW THAT THE STUDY WON'T BE DONE UNTIL THIS FALL AND WE THINK THERE'S SOME EXTERNAL FUNDS THAT WE CAN LEVERAGE RIGHT AFTER THAT TO KIND OF KICK THINGS OFF.  WE DID OUR BUDGET INVESTMENT REQUEST THIS YEAR FOCUSED ON THE CONSTITUENT SERVICES STAFF THAT WOULD SUPPORT THE SENIOR CENTERS. WHAT WE'RE FINDING IS THAT FOLKS ARE GOING INTO PLACES LIKE THE MILDRED AND THEY'RE GOING FOR PROGRAMING BUT WE HAVE A TOTAL YOU HAVE A TOTAL I DON'T THINK WE CAN I FINISH MY NO NOTE ONLY BECAUSE WE GET ON SMALL TIME AND I'M ONLY ASKING LIKE LIKE ABOUT QUANTITATIVELY I DON'T HAVE A I DON'T HAVE A TOTAL FOR YOU OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD RIGHT NOW I'M GOING TO BE VERY INTERESTED IN THOSE DETAILS IN THE BUDGET SEASON BUT I JUST WANTED TO HAVE AN IDEA ABOUT THE NUMBER AND IN TERMS OF LIKE LOSSES AND IN TERMS OF LIKE YOU KNOW, SUPPLEMENTAL GRANTS THAT YOU'RE GETTING, WE'LL FIGURE THAT OUT. BUT I JUST WANTED TO KNOW THAT I'VE TALKED MY HEAD BUT IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SHARE IT, IT'S FINE. YEAH, I DON'T I DON'T I ACTUALLY DON'T I COULDN'T SHARE IT TODAY. I DON'T HAVE IT FOR YOU IN MY HEAD. CAN I PUT THE CHAIR CAN WE GET THAT NUMBER. YES. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.  AND THEN IN TERMS OF YOU KNOW, SOCIAL ISOLATION YOU'VE NAMED AMAZING PROGRAMS, EVENTS AND EVERYTHING ELSE. SO IS THERE SOME SORT OF LIKE QUALITY ASSURANCE TEAM OR SO WE DO. I MEAN WE DO A BUNCH OF KIND OF EVALUATION WORK DEPENDING ON OUR FUNDING SOURCE. SO I WOULD SAY A LOT OF FOR A LOT OF OUR EXTERNAL FUNDS WE HAVE TO DO A LOT OF DATA COLLECTION AND KIND OF QUALITY ASSURANCE WORK FOR THEM.  BUT WHAT I WOULD ALSO SAY IS THAT WE JUST WE JUST REORGANIZE IT WITHIN OUR REORGANIZATION WE HAVE THIS NEW CENTRAL TEAM THAT ALLISON IS GOING TO BE A PART OF AS SOON AS WE CAN GET HER OUT OF HER OLD JOB.  AND IN THIS NEW CENTRAL TEAM PART OF WHAT WE'RE HOPING TO DO IS KIND OF A QUALITY ASSURANCE PROGRAM ACROSS THE COMMISSION. SO IN ITS EVOLUTIONARY PROCESS IT'S YES, IT'S GOING TO SOMETHING'S GOING TO HAPPEN. WE'RE DOING SOME NOW BUT IT'S GOING TO BE EVEN BETTER. FANTASTIC. LAST QUESTION FOR THIS ROUND,  MADAM CHAIR, IF I MAY. YES. THANK YOU.  AN UPTICK IN ELDER VENEREAL DISEASE TESTING POSITIVE OVER AN DISEASE. WHAT HOW ARE WE ADDRESSING THAT ? IT JUST FEELS LIKE THERE'S SO MUCH LIKE POP UP AND TRANSPORTING OF SENIORS TO DIFFERENT LOCATIONS TO GET ACCESS TO DIFFERENT THINGS. IF YOU WANT TO GO TO THIS PROGRAM, YOU'RE GOING TO GO TO BINGO IF YOU WANT TO GO TO MILK BREAKFAST LIKE THERE'S JUST SO MUCH TRANSPORTING IT RIGHT. IT BEGS THE QUESTION OF FOR RECREATION CENTERS LIKE THAT ARE MORE ENCOMPASSING AN ECOSYSTEM, MORE HOLISTIC THAT GIVES YOU ALL THAT IN ONE BUILDING OR MULTIPLE BUILDINGS IN A FUTURE. SO OUR NEED FOR CAPITAL INVESTMENT IN OUR SENIORS BUT SPECIFICALLY I WAS VERY INTERESTED IN THAT AND HOW ARE WE ADDRESSING THAT IN IN IN THE CAPITAL SAY ONCE MORE SORRY IN THE CAPITAL I WENT OFF MEANS MORE THAN WHY WE NEED BUT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT LIKE SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASES? YES. OKAY SO SO HUGE ISSUE RIGHT HUGE ISSUE IN OLDER ADULTS AND WE'VE DONE ARTICLES ON IT IN SPACE AND SECURITY MAGAZINE ALSO SENIOR CENTER TYPE SPACES ARE FANTASTIC PLACES TO HAVE PEOPLE COME IN AND TALK ABOUT THAT ISSUE AND HOW TO STAY SAFE WHEN YOU'RE OLDER.  IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT A LOT OF OLDER ADULTS HAVE THOUGHT OF ESPECIALLY IF THEY HAD ONE LONG TERM PARTNER AND GOT MARRIED VERY YOUNG AND SO IT'S UP TO US TO BE KIND OF ELEVATING THE DISCUSSION AND MAKING SURE THAT THAT PEOPLE ARE GETTING THE INFORMATION THAT THEY NEED TO STAY SAFE.  THANK YOU. THANK YOU, COUNCILOR FLYNN.  THANK YOU.  THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. AND THANK YOU TO THE PANEL IS STRONG AND PCI HAVE PLAY A CRITICAL ROLE IN SUPPORTING OUR SENIORS THROUGHOUT BOSTON.  I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO THE TEAM FROM BC WAY UP IN THE TEAM FROM EIGHT STRONG AS WELL AND I'D ALSO BE INTERESTED IN THAT STUDY THAT YOU'RE DOING EMILY ON YOU KNOW SENIOR CENTERS THROUGHOUT BOSTON AS WELL.  MY QUESTION WOULD BE WHAT ARE SOME OF THE UNIQUE PROGRAMS THAT YOU'RE THAT YOU HAVE YOU'RE WORKING ON AS IT RELATES TO PUBLIC HEALTH CONCERNS FOR I KNOW COUNCILOR TRYING DIFFERENT AND AS ANDERSON MENTIONED BUT PUBLIC HEALTH CONCERNS CHALLENGES FOR OUR SENIORS WHETHER IT'S DIABETES, WHETHER IT'S VARIOUS FORMS OF OF CANCER , WHETHER IT'S DEPRESSION HOW HOW ARE YOU WORKING WITH THE CITY OF BOSTON PUBLIC HEALTH COMMISSION ON A LOT OF THOSE CHALLENGES FACING MANY, MANY SENIORS IN THE CITY ? ANSWER OKAY. SO I THINK THE FIRST AND FOREMOST THING FOR OUR GROUP IS TO BUILD CAPACITY. SO ONCE WE HAVE OUR ON OUR TEAM WE CAN GET OUT THERE AND START MEETING WITH PEOPLE AND COMMUNITY. I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE A OLDER ADULT SUMMIT TO BE ABLE TO TALK ABOUT THESE DIFFERENT THINGS BECAUSE YOU KNOW, LET'S BE FRANK OLDER ADULTS THEY'RE AGING BUT THEY ARE STILL INTIMATE.  SO HAVING A PLACE WHERE THEY HAVE RESOURCES IN ONE SPACE WE ARE DOING OUR NEIGHBORHOOD RESOURCE FAIRS AND MAYBE WE CAN CONNECT WITH OUR DIFFERENT PARTNERS TO BRING IN RESOURCES THAT TOUCH ON THOSE DIFFERENT SUBJECTS.  YEAH, AND I WOULD ALSO SAY WE WE PARTNER WITH THE PUBLIC HEALTH COMMISSION AND LOOK FORWARD TO GROWING THAT PARTNERSHIP WITH THEM AS WELL. I KNOW THAT THEY HAVE A NEW FOCUS ON KIND OF A NEW LIFELONG FOCUS THAT WERE THAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING TO THEM ABOUT. I WILL SAY ONE SPECIFIC THING WE ARE PARTNERING CLOSELY WITH THEM ON THE BOLD GRANT THAT THEY HAVE WHICH IS TO CREATE A PUBLIC HEALTH INFRASTRUCTURE FOR DEMENTIA SPECIFICALLY AND WE NEED TO DO MORE OF THAT WORK BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, PUBLIC HEALTH IS NOT JUST MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH. IT'S IT SHOULD BE ACROSS THE LIFESPAN.  THANK YOU. I KNOW IT WAS MENTIONED HERE THAT SOUTH BOSTON HAS A GROWING CHINESE COMMUNITY AND THERE'S A LOT OF OUTREACH TO THE CHINESE COMMUNITY IN SOUTH BOSTON.  MANY OF THEM LIVE IN PUBLIC HOUSING. SO I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO DAVE STRONG AND TO NEW TO THE B.C. WIFE TEAM AND MAYBE MY QUESTION IS TO CHIEF MAO. SO CHIEF, WHAT ARE WE DOING TO SUPPORT SENIORS IN PUBLIC HOUSING THAT MIGHT NOT HAVE THE RESOURCE AS THE ABILITY THE THE COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY LIKE OTHER SENIORS TO LEARN ABOUT SOME OF THE PROGRAMING AND ACCESSING THE PROGRAM REGARDLESS OF WHAT WHAT NEIGHBORHOOD THEY LIVE IN? SURE, I'LL TACKLE AS MUCH AS I KNOW I AM I JUST BE VERY TRANSPARENT AS WE ALL KNOW I'M SITTING WITH THE EXPERTS IN THIS FIELD IN THIS FIELD SO I'M DEFINITELY FORTUNATE TO BE ABLE TO HAVE A TEAM OF FOLKS COMPLETELY DEDICATED TO THIS.  WHAT I WILL SHARE IN JUST HOLISTICALLY IS THAT THE BEAUTY OF A STRONG BEING IN THE HUMAN SERVICES CABINET IS THAT BUT I ALWAYS LIKE TO SAY IS THAT THE WORK THAT WE FOCUS ON IS FROM THE YOUNGEST TO THE OLDEST AND EVERYBODY ELSE IN BETWEEN. SO YOU KNOW FROM OUR YOUNG POPULATION TO OLDER ADULTS WITH THE QUESTION THAT YOU ASKED IN PARTICULAR COUNSELOR I MIGHT THAT I'M STILL GOING TO PASS IT TO COMMISSIONER SHEA TO TALK ABOUT THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING WITH VHA IN THE COLLABORATION THAT WE HAVE THERE WHETHER YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, PROGRAMS SUCH AS TAKE GOES HOME, THE COLLABORATION THAT WE HAVE THERE SPECIFICALLY I CAN'T I CAN'T ANSWER SPECIFICALLY TO THE PROGRAMING.  WHAT I CAN SAY IS THAT THE OUTREACH IS REALLY HOLISTIC FROM BCBS SAY STRONG. THEY REALLY INTENTIONAL ABOUT MAKING SURE THAT WE DO THE OUTREACH TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THE RESIDENTS PER NEIGHBORHOOD. WE KNOW THAT EACH NEIGHBORHOOD HAS DIFFERENT NEEDS AND IT'S NOT A BAND-AID APPROACH AND SO WE REALLY WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ACTUALLY ABLE TO HONE IN AND REALLY FOCUS ON EXACTLY WHAT IT IS THAT THE NEEDS ARE AND SO THERE'S ANYTHING HAPPENING THERE.  COMMISSIONER, THE LIBRARY I, I I'M GOING TO I'M GOING TO MAKE ALISON TALK SINCE I'VE BEEN MONOPOLIZING THE CONVERSATION I DO WANT TO TALK ABOUT WHAT BFD IS DOING IN HOUSING. YEAH SURE YEAH, YEAH.  SO ONE OF OUR PARTNERS LITTLE IS FRIENDS OF THE ELDERLY.  THEY ARE THEY HAVE A LOT OF GREAT DIFFERENT PROGRAMS. ONE IS AROUND TECHNOLOGY SO THEY PARTNER WITH STUDENTS WHO GO INTO BUILDINGS AND CENTERS WHERE OLDER ADULTS GATHER AND WORK WITH THEM TO LEARN HOW TO USE THEIR TECHNOLOGY AND REALLY INCREASE THEIR ACCESS TO TECHNOLOGY AND LEARN HOW TO USE THEIR DEVICES.  THEY'RE ALSO I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANT ME TO SPEAK ABOUT THIS BUT THEY ALSO HAVE A NEWER PROGRAM THAT IS ALL ART RELATED SO THEY'RE BRINGING ART PROGRAMING INTO THESE SPACES AS WELL AND THAT'S BEEN AN INCREDIBLE PROGRAM THAT IS SUCCESSFUL. THANK YOU. AND THEY'RE DOING A LOT OF THAT . THEY ARE IN A LOT OF THE VHA BUILDINGS AND WE'RE CONTINUING TO BUILD OUT OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH VHA. I'VE BEEN MEETING WITH DIRECTOR BOK TO TRY TO SEE HOW WE CAN CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THEIR BUILDINGS.  WELL, THANK YOU TO THIS PANEL FOR THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING . WE APPRECIATE IT. MORE IMPORTANTLY, THE RESIDENTS APPRECIATE THE HARD WORK YOUR TEAMS ARE DOING. AND AND JUST FINALLY,  COMMISSIONER SHEA, AFTER YOU HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH YOU FOR MANY YEARS AND YOU AND YOUR TEAM ARE VERY DEDICATED AND PROFESSIONAL AND JUST WANT TO WANT TO SAY THANK YOU, THANK YOU COUNCILOR COUNCILOR MEJIA.  YES. AND IT'S YOUR TURN. ALL RIGHT. WHAT AM I WELCOME BACK IN TWO QUESTIONS OR THREE MINUTE QUESTIONS. OKAY, GREAT.  YES. THANK YOU AND THANK YOU AND YOUR STEPPING OUT. SO I HAVE YOU BACK ON THE LIST. THAT'S RIGHT. AND I JUST FOR THE RECORD I LET EVERYONE KNOW THAT I HAD TO STEP OUT. DID ANYBODY WATCH?  BUT I'M BACK SO I'M CURIOUS IF YOU ALL CAN JUST AND I'M SORRY IF MY COLLEAGUES HAVE ASKED PLEASE SPECIFIC QUESTIONS BUT I'VE GOTTEN TO THE POINT WHERE I JUST WANT TO KNOW WHAT I NEED TO DO AND WHAT I NEED TO ASK FOR TO HELP SUPPORT YOU IN YOUR WORK IS THAT SIMPLE.  SO INSTEAD OF ME SAYING HEY, I WANT TO DO THIS NOW I WANT YOU TO TELL ME WHAT YOU WANT ME TO FIGHT FOR ITS BUDGET SEASON SO I WANT TO KNOW WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE AND PROGRAMING FOR OUR ELDERS AND WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE?  SO SO I THINK YOU KNOW, AS AS AS I LOOK LONG TERM AND AS WE'VE TALKED ABOUT KIND OF THE VISION FOR INCREASING PROGRAMING IN SPACES ACROSS THE CITY AS I LOOK OUT OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS WE'RE GOING TO NEED INVESTMENT KIND OF IN THAT PROGRAMING AND SPACES. WE ALSO ARE GOING TO NEED AN INVESTMENT IN THE TEAM THAT SUPPORTS THAT PROGRAMING AND AND I WAS SAYING EARLIER TED COUNCILOR FERNANDEZ ANDERSON, THAT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE PRIORITIZING IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET IS KIND OF CONSTITUENT SERVICES THAT CAN BE THERE TO SUPPORT THE PROGRAMING THAT'S HAPPENING BECAUSE FOLKS ARE COMING INTO PROGRAMING THEY'RE BRINGING KIND OF THEIR HOST OF ISSUES AND THE TEAM THAT'S RUNNING THAT PROGRAMING THEY'RE NOT TRAINED ON BENEFITS ACCESS OR HELPING PEOPLE CONNECT TO RESOURCES. SO HOW CAN WE ALSO HELP TO SUPPORT THAT WITHIN THOSE SPACES? AND SO I THINK WHAT YOU COULD DO TO HELP KIND OF ANY ADVOCACY ,YOU KNOW, OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS AROUND THOSE ISSUES OR OR WE WERE TALKING EARLIER AROUND LEVERAGING EXTERNAL PARTNERS AS WELL. SO IF THERE ARE EXTERNAL PARTNERS THAT YOU THINK WANT TO BE A PART OF THIS WORK TO TED,  I MAKE FANTASTIC SPACES FOR OLDER ADULTS ACROSS THE CITY AND EVERYTHING THAT GOES ON IN THEM IF THERE ARE PARTNERS THAT YOU CAN BRING TO THE TABLE EITHER ON THE PROGRAMING SIDE OR THE FUNDING SIDE, WE WOULD LOVE THAT.  JUST IF I CAN ADD TO THAT I MEAN THE EXTERNAL PARTNERS I THINK WOULD BE IN SO I'M REALLY PROUD THAT THIS ADMINISTRATION REALLY PRIORITIZES OUR OLDER ADULTS JUST ACROSS THE BOARD, YOU KNOW AND SO IN THE HUMAN SERVICES CABINET THIS IS A PRIORITY OF OURS AS WELL AS COMMISSIONER SHEA, SHE HAD EARLIER THIS IS ONE OF OUR STRATEGIC PRIORITIES. AND SO JUST HOLISTICALLY WHAT IS OUR DOING FOR OLDER ADULT POPULATION AND CARVING OUT THAT VISION AND WHAT IS THAT WE SEE MOVING FORWARD KNOWING THAT STATEWIDE OUR OLDER ADULT POPULATION IS GOING TO CONTINUE TO GROW AND WE KNOW SITTING AT THE TABLE HERE AS WELL WE'RE GOING TO BE OLDER ADULTS AS WELL. SO WHAT ARE WE DOING TO PLAN FOR OUR FUTURE? WHAT ARE WE DOING TO PLAN FOR THE CURRENT GENERATION OF FUTURE GENERATIONS AS WELL? I WOULD SAY DEFINITELY THAT BUT I THINK HONESTLY AND THIS ADMINISTRATION HAS PRIORITIZED THAT THE EXTERNAL PIECES AND LIKE INCEPTION THOSE RELATIONSHIPS I THINK WOULD BE KEY. AND ARE YOU GUYS TAPPING INTO INTO DEPARTMENTS FOR TO SUPPORT YOUR PROGRAMING LIKE IN THE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT SPACE BECAUSE OUR ELDERS ARE READY TO RETIRE THEY WANT TO LIKE HAVE A LITTLE SIDE HUSTLE WHAT THEY DO SO JUST CURIOUS ABOUT KIND OF OUR VIOLENCE PREVENTION STRATEGIES LIKE HOW ARE YOU ALL THINKING ABOUT INTERDEPARTMENTAL SUPPORTS AND THEN THAT'S IT. THANK YOU. YEAH I WOULD SAY WE DO SOME OF THAT INTERDEPARTMENTAL WORK NOW THROUGH OUR AGE THROUGH OUR AGE FRIENDLY PROGRAM A LOT OF WORK AROUND CITY PLANNING AND TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE KIND OF ELEVATING THE NEEDS OF OLDER ADULTS WITHIN CITY PLANNING.  BUT IN OUR WE RECENTLY RESTRUCTURED AND IN OUR WHEN WE'RE FULLY STAFFED AND OUR KIND OF NEW STRUCTURE WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A LOT MORE CAPACITY FOR THOSE TYPES OF RELATIONSHIPS BECAUSE I THINK YOU'RE RIGHT OLDER ADULTS DON'T JUST SIT WITHIN AGE STRONG RIGHT THERE ACROSS CITY DEPARTMENTS OR ACROSS COMMUNITY PARTNERS AND WHATEVER WE CAN DO TO KIND OF ELEVATE THE CONVERSATION AROUND OLDER ADULTS WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WORKFORCE, WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE ARTS, WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT OUR STREETS AND SIDEWALKS AND BUILDINGS, WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT OUR HOUSING. I MEAN IT'S IT'S OUR JOB TO BE KIND OF ELEVATING THOSE CONVERSATIONS AND MAKING SURE THAT PEOPLE ARE TAKING OUR OLDER RESIDENTS INTO INTO ACCOUNT. AND I THINK THAT AS PEOPLE LOOK AT SOME OF THESE NEW POPULATION PROJECTIONS THAT ARE COMING OUT THAT THAT'S GOING TO ALSO BE HELPFUL TO THE CONVERSATION.  THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK. THANK YOU. COME TO ME COUNCILOR DURKAN THANK YOU SO MUCH. OF COURSE I REALLY APPRECIATE THANK YOU COUNCILOR MURPHY FOR CONVENING THIS HEARING AND THANK YOU TO THE LEAD SPONSORS ,COUNCILORS WEBER AND PIPPEN FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO OUR SENIOR POPULATION. I'VE HAD THE CHANCE TO SEE COMMISSIONER SHEA AND COMMUNITY CELEBRATING ARTHUR ROSAS 105TH BIRTHDAY PARTY AND AND OBVIOUSLY THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF GREAT EVENTS AND COMMUNITY SO THANK YOU SO MUCH.  I JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THE GREAT WORK AND POTENTIAL POTENTIAL PARTNERSHIPS AND CURRENT PARTNERSHIPS OF THE AGE SHARP COMMISSION WANT TO SHOUT OUT DAVID REIDY WHO DOES A GREAT JOB AT THE PETER PETERSBURG SENIOR CENTER AND AS A NEW FENWAY COMMUNITY CENTER BOARD MEMBER ALONG WITH ME AND I AND I LOVED THE SHOUT OUT FOR OUR BFA WHICH CONNECTS A LOT OF OUR COLLEGE STUDENTS WITH GREAT OPPORTUNITIES TO BE WITH SENIORS AND BE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH SENIORS. I KNOW THERE WAS A MENTION OF TRANSPORTATION FOR SENIORS SO I'D BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T MENTION I THINK THAT'S PART OF WHAT OUR LINK BUS IDEA IS TRYING TO GET AT AND PART OF WHAT THE CITY IS TRYING TO WORK ON. WE HAVE THE ONLY OPERATING LINK BUS AND MISSION WHICH CONNECTS A LOT OF SENIORS TO BASIC NEEDS LIKE GROCERIES AND THE LIBRARY AND ANOTHER THING SO WE ARE IN THE CITY IS LOOKING TO EXPAND THE LINK FOR THIS PROGRAM RIGHT NOW THAT SHUTTLE IN MISSION IS SPONSORED BY A NEARBY HOSPITAL. WHAT IF WE WERE ABLE TO HAVE THOSE OPPORTUNITIES FOR SENIORS EVERYWHERE?  SO AND THEN I'LL SHOUT OUT THE WORK OF THE 55 BUS COALITION WHICH DOES AN INCREDIBLE JOB ADVOCATING A LOT OF SENIORS USE THE 55 BUS AND I'M HOPING THAT WHEN THE MTA GETS BACK UP TO TO MEETING OUR NEEDS AND YOU KNOW, THEY'RE NOT EXPANDING BUSSES RIGHT NOW BUT WHEN THEY ARE I THINK THAT'S THE MAIN ASK AND I KNOW THAT A STRONG COMMISSION AND SOME OF YOUR MEMBERS HAVE BEEN AT SOME OF THOSE RALLIES WITH SENIORS WHO ARE ADVOCATING FOR THE 55 BUS AND THEN JUST WANTED TO SHOUT OUT WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF PHYSICAL SPACES IN DISTRICT EIGHT TO HAVE SPACES WITH SENIORS BUT THERE'LL BE A NEW WESTERN COMMUNITY CENTER WITH THE MITIGATION OR SORRY THE COMMUNITY BENEFITS FOR THE REAGAN BUILDING AND IT'LL BE A PARTNERSHIP WITH ABCD AND A COMMUNITY CENTER. I'M HOPING TO SEE SOME STRONG PROGRAMING IN THAT SPACE AND THEN WE OBVIOUSLY HAVE THE FENWAY COMMUNITY CENTER WHICH AGAIN I'VE MENTIONED LIKE YOU GUYS ARE ALREADY PARTNERING ON ALONG WITH THE THERE'S OPERATION PEACE WHICH DOES A GREAT JOB IN THE COMMUNITY BUT JUST SEEING THAT IT'S STRONG AS ALREADY HAS THOSE PARTNERSHIPS I'M REALLY GRATEFUL FOR EVERYTHING YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN DOING.  I JUST WANTED TO FLAG OBVIOUSLY THERE ARE A LOT OF SENIORS WHO LIVE IN BUILDINGS AND I LOVE HEARING ABOUT THE PARTNERSHIPS WITH VHA BUT MISSION PARK IN PARTICULAR HAS SO MUCH PROGRAMING AND I'M LOOKING TO GO BACK THERE. I'VE BEEN THERE A COUPLE OF TIMES BUT WOULD LOVE TO BRING AN AGED PERSON WITH ME TO TRY TO EVEN FURTHER THOSE CONNECTIONS WITH OUR AGE AND I LOVE HEARING ABOUT THE ART STUFF YOU KNOW I CARE A LOT ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH ESPECIALLY FOR OUR SENIORS. YOU KNOW, I FILED MY FIRST HEARING ORDER ON MENTAL HEALTH FOR CITY WORKERS AND THEN I HAD A LOT OF OUTREACH FROM COMMUNITY SAYING WHAT ABOUT SENIORS AND WHAT ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE LONELINESS THAT'S FELT WHEN YOU KNOW, MEMBERS OF YOUR COMMUNITY ARE PASSING AWAY AND ALSO, YOU KNOW, LACK OF JUST FAMILIAL CONNECTIONS AS YOU AGE AND YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S SO INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT THAT THE CITY REALLY STEP UP THERE AND BE A BRIDGE FOR SENIORS FACING THAT LONELINESS OF OF WHAT IT MEANS TO AGE. SO I, I LOVE HEARING ABOUT THE ARTS WHICH HAS A HUGE IMPACT ON MENTAL HEALTH AS WELL.  BUT I'M JUST SO I'LL LET YOU RESPOND TO ALL THOSE THINGS. I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL YOU DOING COMMUNITY. I KNOW THERE'S SOME PARTNERSHIPS IN THE WEST END WITH WITH THE CHURCH OVER THERE AND FATHER JOE AND SEEING A LOT OF GREAT PARTNERSHIPS AND COMMUNITY BUT JUST GRATEFUL EXCITED FOR FURTHER PARTNERSHIPS AND EXCITED TO WORK WITH YOUR OFFICE. GREAT THANK YOU. YOU JUST MENTIONED A WHOLE BUNCH OF FABULOUS THINGS AND WE RECENTLY MET WITH ABCD ABOUT THE WEST END COMMUNITY CENTER VERY EXCITED ABOUT THAT AND WE DO FUND THE ABCD IN NORTH AND WEST END AND OPERATION PEACE ARE TWO OF OUR PARTNERS AND WE FUNDED ABCD NORTH AND WEST END TO DO SOME SPECIFIC WORK IN THE WEST END IN THIS LAST ROUND OF EXPANDING ENGAGEMENT GRANTS AND THEN I'LL JUST SAY HAPPY TO GO OUT TO MISSION PARK WITH YOU ALL. WE LOVE OUR MISSION PARK FRIENDS AND FOR BEHAVIORAL HEALTH THAT THERE'S AN INVESTMENT IN OUR CITY BUDGET OF I AS WELL. WE HAVE TWO STAFF THAT ARE FOCUSED ON BEHAVIORAL HEALTH INTERNALLY AND BOB WHO'S OUR WELLNESS MANAGER WHO'S DOING MORE MINDFULNESS TYPES OF WORK BUT WE ALSO HAVE $450,000 THAT WE GIVE OUT IN COMMUNITY GRANTS AROUND SPECIFICALLY AROUND ELDER MENTAL HEALTH AND WE WILL HAVE THAT GRANT OPPORTUNITY OPENING UP SOMETIME EARLY IN LIKE THE NEXT MONTH I WOULD SAY WITHIN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS, THE NEXT FEW WEEKS OH FASTER THAN I THOUGHT.  I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU SO MUCH IF THERE'S ANYTHING TO ADD AND THEN I'LL AND I'LL SEND MY TIME BACK BUT I WANT TO MAKE SURE YOU GUYS HAVE TIME. JUST QUICKLY I WANT TO AMPLIFY THAT BOB AND SCOTT WILL BE STARTING MINDFULNESS SESSIONS AT THE WESTERN PUBLIC LIBRARY FROM APRIL 12TH THROUGH JUNE 7TH. SO ANY OLDER ADULTS INTERESTED IN JOINING. RIGHT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.  THANK YOU SO MUCH. YOU COME TO A WORLD THAT.  THANK YOU CHAIR AND THANK YOU STAY STRONG AND GOOD TO SEE MYSELF UP HERE BUT I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU GUYS DO IN THE COMMUNITY. IT WAS A GREAT PARTNERING WITH YOU GUYS FOR THE LOVING LAUGHTER SENIOR LUNCH IN OUR PRINCIPAL. THAT WAS A SUCCESS. MY DANCING WASN'T ALL THERE BUT THE THE THE NATIONAL THE TREASURER'S GOT TO ENJOY THEIR TIME ALSO JUST WANT TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO ALICIA WHO'S ALWAYS AT WE DO DIFFERENT SITE VISITS AS A AS AN OFFICE AND SHE'S ALWAYS SHOWING UP WITH MY TEAM AT THESE DIFFERENT SITE VISITS FOR OUR SENIORS.  ONE OF MY QUESTIONS IS AROUND TRANSPORTATION BECAUSE THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS I HEAR ABOUT ALIVE AND I'VE ADVOCATED FOR THIS LAST YEAR AND WE'VE HAD DISCUSSIONS ABOUT TRANSPORTATION JUST KIND OF SEEING, YOU KNOW, WHAT PROGRESS HAS BEEN MADE ABOUT EXPANDING SERVICES BECAUSE ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THE SENIORS TALK ABOUT IS THEY GET TO THEIR APPOINTMENT AND THEN YOU KNOW, THE HOURS ARE CUT OFF OR THEY HAVE TO KIND OF RE SCHEDULE THEIR WHOLE DAY BASED ON THE HOURS THAT TRANSPORTATION IS PROVIDED BUT ALSO THE EASE OF USING IT. RIGHT. THAT WAS THE OTHER THING THAT THEY WERE POINTING TO AS WELL. SO KIND OF WANTING TO HEAR AND I KNOW WE SPOKE BRIEFLY ABOUT THIS BUT IF YOU COULD JUST DIVE IN TO NOT ONLY THE CHALLENGES BUT YOU KNOW, PROGRESS OR YOUR THOUGHTS ON TRANSPORTATION GOING FORWARD.  YEAH, SURE. AND COUNSELOR, WHEN YOU SAY EASE OF USING IT, ARE THEY HAVING CHALLENGES USING IT OR BESIDES THE HOURS?  I THINK IT'S I THINK PART OF IT IS IF THEY HAVE AN EARLY MORNING APPOINTMENTS RIGHT SO SO HOURS SO IT'S YES ALWAYS THE HOURS YEAH SO SO I WILL SAY WE WE HIRED WE WE ARE EXCITED THAT WE HAVE AN DIRECTOR OVER AT THE SHUTTLE WE ARE WORKING ON GETTING OUR KIND OF FOR OPEN DRIVER POSITIONS FILLED AND AND STARTING A CAN OF SOME REDESIGN WORK OVER THERE WHICH I KNOW YOU AND I HAVE TALKED ABOUT A BUNCH WE ALSO YOU YOU WEREN'T IN THE ROOM WHEN I MENTIONED IT SO I'LL JUST MENTION IT HERE.  WE ALSO ARE WORKING ON A SMALL RIDE SHARE PILOT SO I HAD MELISSA ON MY TEAM HAS BEEN DOING A LOT OF RESEARCH TO TRY TO SEE WHAT OTHER COUNCILS ON AGING ARE DOING AROUND RIDE SHARE AND SPECIFICALLY IN GETTING PEOPLE TO KIND OF SOCIAL ENGAGEMENT PROGRAMING AND SENIOR CENTERS AND WE HOPE TO HAVE THAT LAUNCHED BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR. SO THAT'S THE PROGRESS THAT WE'RE MAKING. WE KNOW THAT TRANSPORTATION IS A HUGE AREA OF NEED AND AND I YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN WE HAVE BEEN GOING THROUGH OUR REORG. WE ARE STILL HIRING I KNOW I HAVE SAID THIS EVERY TIME I'M HERE SO I'M SORRY IT'S TAKING SO LONG BUT BUT EXCITED TO REALLY BE MOVING FORWARD QUICKLY SHORTLY. AWESOME AND A TIMELINE ON THE RIDESHARE PILOT OR IS THAT SOMETHING THIS YEAR WE'RE HOPING BEFORE THE END OF JUNE. END OF JUNE, RIGHT. YEAH WE'D LIKE IF WE COULD WE WANT TO USE THIS YEAR'S OPERATING DOLLARS SO WE'RE TRYING TO MOVE IT FORWARD. THANK YOU AGAIN. WE'LL BE SMALL THOUGH LEARNING A LEARNING OPPORTUNITY AS WELL. THANK YOU AGAIN FOR ALL YOUR WORK. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU COUNCILOR GIRL THANK YOU TO THIS PANEL. I KNOW DO HAVE A SPECIFIC QUESTION. OKAY.  I WOULD DO ALSO BEFORE WE GO OVER SORRY NOW THAT KNOW YOU'RE NEXT I DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING. THANK YOU. I NO ONE WANTED TO ALSO MAKE SURE WE HAVE THE SET FOR THE THANK YOU CHAIR JUST A COUPLE QUICK FOLLOW UP QUESTIONS.  DUTY DISNEY DO YOU HAVE THE NUMBERS ON THE SENIOR POP UP CENTER IN WEST ROXBURY IN RESPONSE TO IN THE ATTENDANCE DO I HAVE THE NUMBERS ON HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE ATTENDING THERE? YES I THINK RAY IS ON THE NEXT PANEL AND HE CAN GIVE YOU THOSE NUMBERS. I DON'T HAVE THE NUMBERS. I KNOW THAT IT'S BEEN HUGELY POPULAR, CHIEF AND I WENT AND DID YOGA OVER THERE AND IT WAS PACKED. I KNOW AND AND WHAT I WILL SAY IS THAT EVERY SENIOR CENTER THAT OPENS ACROSS THE COUNTRY IS IMMEDIATELY TOO SMALL FOR THE PEOPLE THAT WANT TO ATTEND . SO I'M NOT SURPRISED IS PACKED AND YOU KNOW SO IS IS BOSTON SO IS BRIGHT AND EVERYONE EVERYWHERE IS PACKED.  YEP. OKAY. I WAS GOING TO SAY YOU HAVE TO RAISE YOUR HAND IF YOU'VE DONE CHAIR YOGA AND OKAY I HAVEN'T YET BUT I HOPE TO SOON SO JUST A COUPLE MORE QUESTIONS. THIS IS THE SENIOR SHUTTLE.  IT DOES IT IS IT AVAILABLE TO SENIORS FOR NON DOCTOR APPOINTMENT VISITS AND IF NOT CAN WE EXPAND THAT OR WHAT'S BEING DONE? YEAH I THINK THAT'S WHAT THE WHITE COUNSELOR WAS WAS ALLUDING TO. SO YES IT IS CURRENTLY AVAILABLE PRIMARILY FOR MEDICAL APPOINTMENTS FOR SOME GROCERY SHOPPING TRIPS. IT IS OUR VISION OVER THE LONG TERM TO EXPAND WHERE THE SHUTTLE IS DRIVING.  WE HAVE SCHEDULING SOFTWARE THAT WE IMPLEMENTED JUST BEFORE THE PANDEMIC WHICH WE NEED TO KIND OF FULLY UTILIZE BUT WE NEED WE NEED TO HIRE FOR OUR DRIVERS FIRST SO WE HAVE DRIVERS TO AND THEN OUR HOPE IS OVER TIME TO LOOK AT BOTH HOURS AND ALSO WHERE WE'RE DRIVING AND ALSO TO SEE IF WE CAN POTENTIALLY LEVERAGE SOME OTHER FUNDING FOR IT LIKE FROM HOSPITALS WE DO A LOT OF HOSPITAL TRIPS SO WE'RE TRYING TO LOOK AT KIND OF WHERE OUR FUNDING SOURCES ARE COMING FROM AS WELL. OKAY. I'LL JUST I KNOW MY MOM WAS BEING TREATED FOR LEUKEMIA LAST YEAR AND THERE WERE CANCER RELATED. I KNOW THE CITY HAD A PROGRAM BUT CANCER RELATED TRANSPORTATION FREE TRANSPORTATION SERVICES AND IT WAS SORT OF LIKE AN UBER OR SOMETHING. IT WASN'T AND THEY THAT I THINK THE CITY COULD DO A LOT BETTER JOB BUT YOU KNOW, SORT OF I THINK MAYBE LOOK AT THAT KIND OF PROGRAM. YEAH THE LAST QUESTION JUST YOU MENTIONED COMMISSIONER, YOU MENTIONED DEMENTIA. ARE THERE ANY WHAT'S GOOD WHAT PROGRAMS ARE AVAILABLE NOW? WHAT'S THE PLAN FOR THE FUTURE ON PROGRAMING FOR PEOPLE WITH DEMENTIA? SURE. SO WE'RE WORKING WITH THE PUBLIC HEALTH COMMISSION TO CREATE A PUBLIC HEALTH INFRASTRUCTURE FOR DEMENTIA. WE DO A NUMBER OF MEMORY CAFES. THERE ARE, ADULT DAY HEALTH PROGRAMS IF PEOPLE NEED THAT KIND OF SUPPORTED STRUCTURE.  BUT AND WE HAVE ACTUALLY A DEMENTIA SPECIALIST DOWNSTAIRS, KAREN WHITE, WHO CAN HELP PEOPLE NAVIGATE WE DO A LOT OF PARTNERSHIP WITH THE ALZHEIMER'S ASSOCIATION AND WITH BOSTON SENIOR HOME CARE IS FAMILY CAREGIVER PROGRAM WHICH IS ONE OF THE PROGRAMS THAT WE FUND THROUGH OLDER AMERICANS ACT FUNDING. SO I THINK LOTS OF HELP OUT THERE FOR PEOPLE BUT FEEL FREE IF YOU HAVE FOLKS FEEL FREE TO SEND THEM TO US AND CURRENT CAN KIND OF HELP THEM NAVIGATE THE SYSTEM THAT IS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. YOU'RE WELCOME. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. I KNOW WE'RE JOINED BY RAY BEFORE WE GET TO YOU WHERE WE DO HAVE CONSOLE ME HE HAS A COUPLE MORE QUESTIONS FOR THIS FIRST PANEL BUT THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. CONSOLE MEJIA.  THANK YOU. AND RAY, I'M SORRY YOU'RE ON ZOOM SO THAT'S WHAT YOU GET.  SO I I HAVE A VERY SPECIFIC QUESTION AND YOU KNOW, I ALWAYS TALK ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF REPRESENTATION AND ALL THAT GOOD STUFF AND I AM CURIOUS AND I BELIEVE LEVEL THE AI IS THE ONLY ADULT DAY CARE FOR ELDERS THAT IS OWNED AND OPERATED BY SOMEONE WHO'S LINUX I SO I THINK ALIANZA HISPANA IT'S OWNED AND OPERATED BY SOMEONE IT'S A NONPROFIT AND IT'S RUN BY MARISOL AMAYA AND I KNOW THAT LEVEL THE HAS HAD A LOT OF FITS AND STARTS IN SUPPORTING THEIR PROGRAMING AND I'M JUST CURIOUS ABOUT WHAT INFRASTRUCTURE AND WHAT ROLE AGENTS CAN PLAY IN HELPING TO SUPPORT BECAUSE I THINK THAT THAT SPECIFIC COMMUNITY BECAUSE SO MANY OF THE FOLKS THAT PARTICIPATE IN OVER THE YEAR ARE LANGUAGE YOU KNOW THEY ONLY SPEAK SPANISH MANY ARE YOU KNOW, IMMIGRANTS. THEY ARE STRUGGLING JUST TO UNDERSTAND HOW TO NAVIGATE. SO I'M JUST CURIOUS WHAT TYPE OF PROGRAMING AND WHAT TYPES OF PARTNERSHIPS ARE STRONG, YOU KNOW, CONSIDERING DOING WITH THEM TO HELP STRENGTHEN THEM. YOU KNOW, THERE ARE OVER 100 OF 75,000 LATINOS THAT LIVE IN THE STATE OF MASSACHUSETTS AND THAT TO SAY THAT THEY'RE ALL LIVING HERE. BUT YEAH, YEAH, LATINOS ARE FASTEST GROWING HERE IN THE CITY OF BOSTON AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE BEING ABLE TO MEET THAT MOMENT AND THAT CAPACITY PROGRAMING PARTICULARLY FOR LATINO ELDERS. AND THEN I WOULD LOVE AND THIS IS JUST SOMETHING TO SHARE WITH CHIEF MASSO BECAUSE I AM AN IDEAS PERSON AND I LIKE TO THINK ABOUT WHEN WINS FOR EVERYBODY. THERE ARE A LOT OF HIGH SCHOOLS THAT ARE LOOKED AT WELL IF THEY SHOULDN'T THEY SHOULD ROLL LIKE HELPING YOUNG PEOPLE GET THEIR LICENSES. I WOULD LOVE TO SEE A PROGRAM WHERE SOME OF THESE YOUNG PEOPLE ENOUGH TO SAY THEY'RE GOING TO BE DRIVING ELDERS CRAZY BUT THAT COULD HELP THEM LIKE IF THERE WAS A WAY TO PAY YOUNG PEOPLE TO DO FOOD SHOPPING FOR ELDERS, WHAT WOULD THAT LOOK LIKE?  THIS IS JUST SOMETHING FOR WHOEVER'S LISTENING HERE AND PAYING ATTENTION. THIS IS A GOOD WAY FOR EVERYONE TO DO SOMETHING TO HELP SUPPORT OUR ELDERS AND IF THERE'S A WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE WHERE YOUNG PEOPLE WHO HAVE GOTTEN THEIR LICENSE CAN UTILIZE AS A WAY TO SUPPORT OUR ELDERS, THAT'S A WIN WIN, RIGHT? JUST WANT TO THROW IT OUT THERE FOR US TO CONSIDER. AND THEN THE LAST THING THAT I WANTED UPLIFT AND YOU KNOW COUNCILOR LARA WHO INVITED ME TO THE WEST ROXBURY HEARING WHEN ALL OF THE ELDERS WERE THERE I RECENTLY WENT BACK AT THEIR INVITATION AND I WAS JUST SO INCREDIBLY IMPRESSED AND HAPPY TO SEE HOW THOSE ELDERS REALLY ORGANIZED AND CREATED A SPACE FOR THEMSELVES AND I JUST WANT TO UPLIFT THAT. THEY NEED THEIR OWN HOME AND IT'S GREAT THAT THE ELK LODGE IS ABLE TO PROVIDE SOME SPACE BUT I KNOW THROUGH HER LEADERSHIP THEY WERE REALLY ADVOCATING TO HAVE A PERMANENT HOME AND I THINK AS YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT FACILITIES I THINK THAT I JUST WANT TO UPLIFT THAT LEADERSHIP THAT SHE BROUGHT INTO THE CHAMBER AND JUST WANT TO SAY AND LEND MY VOICE TO ADVOCATING FOR A PERMANENT FOR WEST ROXBURY. YEAH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, COUNSELOR. I MEAN I THINK THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WE'RE EXCITED KIND OF CRAFTING THIS PLAN FOR SPACES ACROSS THE CITY BECAUSE IT'S DEFINITELY IMPORTANT THAT PEOPLE HAVE A SPACE FOR SURE IN NUEVO DIA DOES FANTASTIC WORK. I'M GLAD TO I'M GLAD THAT THEY'RE AN IMPORTANT PARTNER IN THE COMMUNITY.  WHAT I WOULD SAY IS THAT ADULT DAY HEALTH HAS THEIR OWN KIND OF FUNDING THROUGH THE STATE AND SO AND THEY RECENTLY GOT NEW RATES WHICH I WAS REALLY EXCITED TO HEAR. I THINK I DON'T KNOW IF YOU KNOW THIS BUT I STARTED MY CAREER IN ADULT HEALTH WHEN I WAS 18 DOING ACTIVITIES. I THEN SAT ON THE STREET COMMISSION AROUND AND THEY HAVE LICENSING AND HAVE DONE A LOT OF ADVOCACY WORK OVER THE YEARS AROUND ADULT DAY HEALTH RATES AND WAS VERY GLAD TO SEE THE STATE INCREASE THEIR RATE SO THAT ADULT HEALTH PROGRAMS CAN ACTUALLY SURVIVE INSTEAD OF JUST STRUGGLING DAY TO DAY. I KNOW THEY WERE ABLE TO GET THEIR UNITED HEALTH CONTRACT IN PLACE WHICH IS FANTASTIC.  THEY WERE WORKING HARD ON THAT. SO I THINK THAT THERE'S A REALLY IMPORTANT ROLE FOR US TO PLAY WITH THE LATIN COMMUNITY BOTH KIND OF UNDERSTANDING WHAT ADULT DAY HEALTH PROGRAMS ARE OUT THERE AND MAKING SURE THAT THEY GET THE SUPPORT THAT WE CAN GIVE THEM. BUT ALSO YOU HAVE TO HAVE A CERTAIN LEVEL OF NEED TO BE AN ADULT.  THEY HELP A MEDICAL NEED. AND SO I THINK THAT MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE CREATING SPACES THAT ARE THAT NEXT COMMUNITY CAN GO INTO CAN FEEL COMFORTABLE AND KIND OF SOMETHING THEY WANT TO DO IN THEIR LANGUAGE SPACES WHERE YOU KNOW, SENIOR CENTER TYPES OF SPACES AS WELL AS HAVING A GOOD ARRAY OF PROGRAMS LIKE NUEVO DIA FOR WHEN PEOPLE HAVE THAT MEDICAL NEED WE NEED TO HAVE THAT CONTINUE IN PLACE. YEAH, AND I APPRECIATE THAT AND I KNOW THAT WE HAVE REAL ANXIOUSLY WAITING TO GO BUT I THINK THAT WHAT I HAVE LEARNED IN MY LITTLE SHORT TIME HERE IS THAT MY MY JOB IS TO ADVOCATE FOR FOLKS WHO ARE NOT HERE.  RIGHT. AND I HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY MY MOM IS STILL WORKING AND TOO POOR TO RETIRE. BUT IF SHE IF I CAN EVER GET HER INTO A PLACE I WOULD GET HER AND SOMEBODY NOT TO GIVE THEM A PLUG. BUT IS IT BECAUSE THERE IS SOMETHING TO BE SAID ABOUT CULTURALLY COMPETENT PROGRAMING ? AND I THINK THAT AS WE CONTINUE TO HAVE THESE CONVERSATIONS I THINK THERE ARE CERTAIN GROUPS THAT ARE DOING A REALLY GREAT JOB AT MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE DOING PROGRAMING THAT IT REFLECTS THE CULTURE OF THOSE FOLKS WHO ARE IN THOSE SPACES AND AND THEY ARE THEY'RE DOING THEY'RE DOING GOOD WORK AND I THINK THAT THEY'VE HAD A HARD TIME GETTING OFF THE GROUND AND I THINK THAT THE CITY CAN PLAY A ROLE IN THE FUTURE IN SUPPORTING SOME OF THESE FOLKS LUNCH MORE EFFECTIVELY IN THE FUTURE. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU.  YEAH, THANK YOU AND THANK YOU COMMISSIONER EVERYONE FOR BEING HERE. IF YOU STAY WE TWO MORE PANELISTS WE HAVE RAY AND THEN ALSO BARBARA CRICHLOW WILL BE SPEAKING BUT WE WILL TURN OVER NOW TO RAY WHO IS THE CHIEF DEVELOPMENT AND COMMUNITY RELATIONS OFFICER FOR ETHOS.  AND I ASSUME YOU WERE LISTENING IN. WE SPOKE A LOT ABOUT ETHOS AND THE GREAT WORK YOU DO AND PIECING TOGETHER THE SERVICES ACROSS THE CITY HERE SO YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.  WELL THANK YOU AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL AND ESPECIALLY COUNCILORS PEPE AND WEBERN AND COUNCIL PRESIDENT LOUIS JEAN AND ESPECIALLY TO COMMISSIONER SHEA AND AND CHIEF MARCELLO FOR THEIR TESTIMONY TODAY. MY NAME IS RAY SANTOS THE CHIEF DEVELOPMENT AND COMMUNITY RELATIONS OFFICER FOR YOU THOSE EFFORTS AS A NONPROFIT COMMITTED TO IMPROVING THE LIVES OF OLDER ADULTS AND DISABLED INDIVIDUALS IN BOSTON SINCE OUR FOUNDING IN 1973 BY A COALITION OF COMMUNITY ACTIVISTS, OUR GOAL HAS BEEN TO ENABLE INDIVIDUALS TO REMAIN IN THEIR OWN HOMES FOR AS LONG AS POSSIBLE AND PREVENT THE NEED FOR INSTITUTIONAL CARE.  WE WANT FOLKS LIVING IN THE COMMUNITY AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE OUR AGING COMMUNITY. WE DO HAVE MANY OF OUR PROGRAMS ARE VERY WELL KNOWN OBVIOUSLY HOME CARE, MEALS ON WHEELS, OUR CONGREGATE OR COMMUNITY DINING PROGRAMS. BUT I'M HERE TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR OUR AGING AND COMMUNITY STRATEGIES INCLUDING OUR HEALTHY AGING PROGRAM AT HOME AND MOST RECENTLY OUR SENIOR CENTER PILOT INITIATIVE IN WEST ROXBURY.  WE TRY TO BRING PROGRAMING AS CLOSE TO SENIORS AS POSSIBLE UTILIZING ALL THE VENUES AND ALL OF THE ASSETS AVAILABLE TO US. THE ETHOS SENIOR CENTER PILOT PROGRAM IS A VITAL INITIATIVE AIMED AT EXPANDING SENIOR PROGRAMING IN SOUTHWEST BOSTON THAT CAME TO LIFE AS A RESULT OF TREMENDOUS ADVOCACY FROM SENIORS THEMSELVES.  IT'S FUNDED PRIMARILY THROUGH AN EARMARK OF $250,000 AND THIS IN THE STATE BUDGET.  AND WHILE THE CITY OF BOSTON DOESN'T CURRENTLY FUND THE CITY CENTER PILOT, THE PROGRAM DOES BENEFIT QUITE A BIT FROM OTHER PROGRAMS THAT ARE GENERALLY SUPPORTED BY THE CITY NAMELY OUR HOW THE AGING PROGRAM DIGITAL AGING INITIATIVES AND OUR NUTRITION PROGRAM OUR LONG STANDING COLLABORATION HAS BEEN INCREDIBLY SUCCESSFUL AND IT'S A MODEL FOR PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS AND THE EARMARKED FUNDING SUPPORTS VARIOUS ASPECTS OF THE PROGRAM INCLUDING STAFFING FOR ONE FULL TIME PERSON, A PART TIME EMPLOYEE.  THE RENTAL OF SPACE AT THE BOSTON LAUNCH OF ALEX AND I WILL SAY THAT THEY'RE VERY GENEROUS WITH THE RENT. THEY'RE HIRING OF EXTERNAL CONSULTANTS TO PROVIDE EXERCISE CLASSES AND ACTIVITIES AND WE'RE ABLE TO RUN INCREDIBLY LEAN IN MAXIMIZING ALL OF THE RESOURCES AVAILABLE ETHOS SUPPLEMENTS THE PROGRAM WITH ADDITIONAL PROGRAMING FROM ITS EXISTING OFFERINGS TO ENRICH THE SENIORS EXPERIENCE. SO WE ALSO OFFER 11 DIFFERENT EVIDENCE BASED HEALTHY AGING PROGRAMS WE PROVIDE A TECHNOLOGY TRAINING PROGRAM. WE PROVIDE WE BRING IN SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS ON FROM OUR HOME CARE, OUR MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELING TEAMS, ETC. BRING THE RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE TO BEAR NOT JUST THE SENIOR CENTER PROGRAM AS PART OF ITS NUTRITION PROGRAM TO MEET THOSE ALSO PROVIDES BREAKFAST AND LUNCH EVERY SINGLE DAY THAT THE PROGRAM IS OPEN AND THAT'S OPEN TWICE A WEEK TUESDAYS AND THURSDAYS WITH SOME FEW SORT OF PLANNED PAUSES THROUGHOUT THE YEAR FOR PLANNING THE PROGRAM ITSELF IS ATTRACTS A DIVERSE GROUP OF PARTICIPANTS OVER 500 SENIORS HAVE TAKEN PART OR VISITED THE SENIOR CENTER PILOT SINCE WE OPENED BACK IN EARLY JULY BY THE BEGINNING OF JULY AND WE PROXIMITY REACHED CRITICAL MASS OF ABOUT 100 100 SENIORS EVERY SINGLE DAY WITH MORE THAN 50% COMING FROM OUTSIDE OF THE WEST ROXBURY.  OUR SENIORS FROM ALMOST EVERY PART OF BOSTON AND BEYOND BENEFIT FROM THE PROGRAMS, SERVICES AND ACTIVITIES.  UNFORTUNATELY, THE STATE BUDGET EARMARKED THAT FUNDS THIS PROGRAM WAS SUBJECT TO CUTS RESULTING IN A 50% REDUCTION IN FUNDING. THESE CUTS WILL SIGNIFICANTLY IMPACT SERVICES ABILITY TO MAINTAIN THE SAME LEVEL OF ACTIVITY AND PROGRAMING DESPITE THOSE CHALLENGES AND WE'RE COMMITTED ECOS IS COMMITTED TO SUSTAINING THE SENIOR CENTER PILOT PROGRAM ALBEIT WITH SOME REDUCED PROGRAMING. I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT YOU KNOW SOMETHING SPECIAL HAS HAPPENED HERE AS A RESULT OF , YOU KNOW, SENIOR ADVOCACY AS A RESULT OF OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS BECOMING HEAVILY INVOLVED AND TRYING TO AND IDENTIFYING THE GAP AND FILLING THE GAP AND THIS PROGRAM HAS GROWN BEYOND ALL EXPECTATIONS.  I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE ALL WORK TOGETHER AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE TO TO SUSTAIN THE PROGRAM AND FIND WAYS TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S THAT WE WE'RE PROUD TO CONTINUE TO PROVIDE ACCESS TO IT FOR MORE AND MORE SENIORS THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE CITY OF BOSTON.  THANK YOU. THANK YOU, RAY. I'LL GO TO MY COLLEAGUES IF THEY HAVE SPECIFIC QUESTIONS FOR US. WE'LL START WITH COUNCIL WHERE THE LEAD SPONSOR. YEAH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, RAY.  UM, AND I GUESS SO I'M SORRY DID YOU SAY FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE COMING FROM OF WEST ROXBURY TO THE PAPER DID YOU SAY FIVE 0% OR ONE 5%? I'M JUST MORE THAN 50% OF THE SENIORS WHO ATTEND THE SENIOR CENTER PILOT COME FROM OUTSIDE OF THE WEST ROXBURY AREA AND UH, YOU KNOW, SO IF CAN YOU JUST EXPAND ON IF THE YOU KNOW, THE THE BUDGET THE CUTS GO THROUGH WITHOUT ANY OTHER ASSISTANCE LIKE HOW WILL THAT IMPACT THE PROGRAMING THAT YOU'RE OFFERING?  YEAH YOU KNOW THE THE IT'S A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF WORK TO RUN THIS PROGRAM TWO DAYS A WEEK SO AND WE'RE RUNNING OUT ALREADY WITH A VERY MINIMAL STAFF.  WE HAVE SOME VOLUNTEERS THAT ARE INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT TO THE WORK THAT WE DO AS WELL BUT THAT WE DEPEND ON BRINGING IN OUTSIDE CONSULTANTS, OUTSIDE INSTRUCTORS MANY OF THEM WHO COME FROM THE COMMUNITIES THAT WE SERVE TO TEACH CLASSES AT THE CENTER. WE TYPICALLY HAVE ONE CLASS IN THE MORNING, ONE CLASS IN THE AFTERNOON.  WITH THE BUDGET CUTS THOSE WILL BE THE FIRST THINGS THAT WE ARE ABLE TO NEED TO SEE WHEN WE NEED TO SCALE BACK.  SO OBVIOUSLY WE WILL HELP. WE HAVE TO FIND CREATIVE SOLUTIONS AND IN THE INTERIM TO FILL THOSE TIME TO FILL THOSE SPACES THOSE HAS A WIDE ARRAY OF OF SENIOR PROGRAMING AND EVIDENCE BASED PROGRAMING BUT THOSE ARE AVAILABLE THROUGHOUT ALL OF OUR NEIGHBORHOODS THAT WE SERVE AND SO WE DON'T WANT TO CUT WE DON'T WANT TO REALLOCATE SOURCE RESOURCES FROM THOSE COMMUNITIES THAT WE'RE ALREADY SERVING LIKE HYDE PARK, MATTAPAN AND JP AND ROSLINDALE. WE DON'T WANT TO WE DON'T WANT TO SCALE THOSE BACK BUT WE WANT TO FIGURE OUT CREATIVE WAYS TO MAXIMIZE THE TIME THAT WE DO HAVE AND BE ABLE TO FILL IN THOSE GAPS AT THE SENIOR CENTER . THE FIRST THING THAT WILL BE CUT THOUGH IS IS OUR ABILITY TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES AND I GUESS FROM THE THE POP UP HOW HAS THAT CHANGED YOUR OPINION OR WHAT HAVE YOU SEEN IN TERMS OF HOW WE SHOULD THINK ABOUT AN ACTUAL SENIOR CENTER YOU KNOW, IN THE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD?  YEAH, I MEAN I THINK THE CITY IS DOING AMAZING THINGS.  YOU KNOW IT'S I WILL SAY THAT THE CITY OF BOSTON IS ONE OF THE BEST PLACES TO AGE. YOU KNOW, BY AND LARGE THE CITY IS DOING INCREDIBLE THINGS AND WE COORDINATE QUITE WELL WITH OUR PARTNERS AT AGE STRONG B, C Y OUT.  I THINK WHAT SENIORS YOU KNOW,  WHAT WE HEAR FROM SENIORS IS THAT THEY NEED COMMUNICATION. THEY NEED TO KNOW WHAT WHAT WHAT PROGRAMS AND ACTIVITIES ARE HAPPENING REGULARLY.  THEY NEED TO HAVE PROGRAMING THAT'S CLOSE AS CLOSE TO THEM AS POSSIBLE. YOU KNOW, I HEARD TRANSPORTATION YOU KNOW, OVER AND OVER TODAY THE TRANSPORTATION IS, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE BIGGEST BARRIERS TO ACCESSING OUR PROGRAMING DURING THE PANDEMIC WE WERE ABLE TO OFFER VIRTUAL PROGRAMING AND THAT'S STILL, YOU KNOW, IMPORTANT AN IMPORTANT COMPONENT OF WHAT WE DO.  BUT FOLKS WANT TO BE IN-PERSON. THEY WANT TO SOCIALIZE WITH THEIR FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS, MEET NEW FRIENDS. THEY CRAVE CONNECTION.  AND SO BEING ABLE TO PROVIDE PROGRAMING AS CLOSE TO CONSUMERS OR LEAST FREE CRITICAL MASSES OF SENIORS, I THINK IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO THE SUCCESS OF ANY SENIOR CENTER PILOT OR SENIOR CENTER OUT INITIATIVE. OKAY SORRY LAST QUESTION.  I JUST WANT TO BORROW COUNSELOR MCGEE HAS A QUESTION TO THE PANEL WHICH IS YOU KNOW, HOW CAN WE HELP YOU? WHAT WOULD YOU IF YOU YOU KNOW, YOU HAD ONE THING YOU'VE GOT THE YOU KNOW, THE CITY HERE ALL THE HEAVY HITTERS FROM THE MAYOR'S OFFICE, YOU KNOW, WHAT WOULD YOU TELL US? WE NEED TO PAY ATTENTION TO AND AND FIGHT FOR SURE.  I HAVE CERTAINLY INCREASED ACCESS TO PROGRAMING AS ARE AS OUR SENIOR POPULATION GROWS, WE'RE GOING TO NEED ADDITIONAL PROGRAMING NOT JUST IN WEST ROXBURY BUT IN EVERY NEIGHBORHOOD OF BOSTON.  I THINK THIS THE YOU KNOW, HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES AND H STRONG IN PARTICULAR ARE DOING AN AMAZING JOB AND IN PROVIDING SUPPORT TO ORGANIZATIONS LIKE ETHOS AND TO CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THEIR WORK IN A CERTAINLY THEY KNOW REALLY WELL I'M NOT JUST FROM YOU KNOW WHAT WE'RE HEARING FROM CONSUMERS FOR US I MEAN OBVIOUSLY ANY KIND OF SUPPORT THAT WE RECEIVE FOR THESE INITIATIVES AND LISTEN TO THE SENIORS. BUT I THINK THAT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT THING THAT I COULD TELL YOU LISTEN TO THE SENIORS WHAT THEIR NEEDS ARE AND YOU KNOW, THINK REALLY WELL ABOUT HOW HOW BEST TO MEET THEIR NEEDS. I KNOW THAT THAT YOU KNOW, IT'S RESOURCES ARE ALWAYS GOING TO BE SCARCE.  BUT IF WE LISTEN TO WHAT THE SENIORS WANT, I THINK IT POINTS REALLY WELL TO HELPS US CREATE THAT ROAD MAP FOR OUR PLANNING AND FOR FILLING IN THOSE GAPS OF SERVICES THROUGHOUT THE CITY AND IN WEST ROXBURY AND THE PARKWAY AREA IN PARTICULAR.  THANKS A LOT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. CAN'T COME FROM HERE, RIGHT? THANK YOU. THANK YOU WE REALLY DO APPRECIATE IT. I'M CURIOUS IF COULD JUST TALK TO US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SOME OF YOUR CULTURALLY COMPETENT PROGRAMING AND I THINK ABOUT MISS BARBARA CHISNALL OVER IN MATTAPAN AND HOW SHE HAS MANAGED TO SINGLEHANDEDLY GET THAT PLACE POPPIN IF YOU WILL. BUT I AM CURIOUS AS YOU AS YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT OTHER SPACES AND PLACES AS WE CONTINUE TO BE THE DIVERSITY THAT WE ARE CAN TALK TO US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT YOUR DIVERSITY GOALS ARE AND HOW YOUR PROGRAMING SHIFTS TO MEET THE CULTURAL NEEDS OF OUR AGING POPULATION. IT'S SURE GREAT QUESTION. ETHOS OPERATES SO OUR SENIOR CENTER PILOT IS NOT THE ONLY PROGRAM THAT WE OFFER SENIORS. OUR ETHOS OFFERS THAN 40. I THINK IT'S UP TO MAYBE UP TO 45 DIFFERENT COMMUNITY DINING SITES AND THOSE COMMUNITY DINING SITES ARE REALLY IMPORTANT. THEY'RE NOT JUST A PLACE TO GET A HOT NUTRITIOUS MEAL, THEY'RE A PLACE TO SOCIALIZE, THEY'RE A PLACE TO PARTICIPATE IN ACTIVITIES. WE HAVE STAFF THAT ARE ACTIVE IN PLANNING WITH THE RESIDENTS THERE AT EACH LOCATION,  DIFFERENT PROGRAMS AND ACTIVITIES. SO EACH ONE OF THEM IS YOU KNOW ,IN VARYING SIZES THEIR OWN LITTLE SENIOR CENTER AS WELL AND EACH ONE IS TAILORED TO THE PARTICULAR COMMUNITY THAT WE'RE SERVING THERE. YOU KNOW, FOR EXAMPLE, OUR NATE SMITH HOUSE HERE IN JAMAICA PLAIN, YOU KNOW, IT'S MOSTLY AS YOU KNOW, MANY SPANISH SPEAKING CONSUMERS ARE SENIORS AND SO THE FOOD AND THE PROGRAMING IS TAILORED TO THAT COMMUNITY AND SONGKRAN DEBT WHICH WAS THE FIRST FIRST COMMUNITY DINING SITE IN BOSTON DEDICATED SOLELY TO SERVING THE HAITIAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITY WE HAD THE THE LANGUAGE THE PROGRAMING IS ALL TAILORED TO SERVE THAT COMMUNITY AND THEN IN TERMS OF CULTURAL COMPETENCY WE HIRE FROM THE COMMUNITIES THAT WE SERVE SO ETHOS IS CASE MANAGERS ARE OUTREACH WORKERS.  THEY'RE REFLECTIVE OF THE CONSUMERS OR THE SENIORS THAT WE SERVE AND THEY SPEAK NOT UPON THEIR FIRST TEN MONTHS BUT LANGUAGES THEY'RE THEY COME FROM THE VERY BACKGROUNDS. SO WE REALLY TRY TO MODEL OURSELVES AROUND THE COMMUNITY THAT WE'RE SERVING.  YEAH, THANK YOU FOR THAT. AND ONE LAST QUESTION. I'M CURIOUS YOU KNOW THERE'S WE ARE IN A STATE OF WHERE PEOPLE HAVE VERY SHORT FUZE. I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO SAY BUT PEOPLE ARE JUST LIKE OUR CONFLICT RESOLUTION.  ANGER MANAGEMENT IS SOMETHING THAT I HAVE SEEN THAT WE NEED MORE TRAINING ON ACROSS ALL AGES AND STAGES OF LIFE AND SO IN PARTICULAR WITH ELDERS PARTICULARLY POST-PANDEMIC.  I'M JUST CURIOUS IN TERMS OF YOUR PROGRAMING WHAT WHAT HAS THAT LOOK LIKE FOR YOU ALL AND IF WE'RE THINKING ABOUT THE LONG GAME HERE AND ADVOCACY PARTICULARLY AROUND MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT FOR OUR ELDERS, HOW CAN WE AS THE COUNCIL HELP SUPPORT ITOS IN THEIR PROGRAMING AROUND THAT?  YEAH, CERTAINLY WE HAVE THREE THREE PROGRAMS THAT TOUCH ON THOSE AREAS IN PARTICULAR OUR HOT PROGRAM WHICH IS FUNDED BY THE STATE OUR ELDER MENTAL HEALTH OUTREACH TEAM AND IT HELPS FOLKS WHO ARE REALLY IN CRISIS BOTH MENTAL HEALTH AND OTHERS AND OTHER CRISES ARE OUR DEPRESSION MANAGEMENT PROGRAM WHICH IS FUNDED BY A TOTALLY DIFFERENT STREAM HELPS FOLKS WHO HAVE MILD TO MODERATE DEPRESSION AND AND YOU KNOW, NEED A LITTLE BIT OF ASSISTANCE IN SORT OF CHANGING THEIR OUTLOOK ON LIFE AND THAT THAT PROGRAM HAS BEEN WILDLY SUCCESSFUL.  AND THEN FINALLY WE'RE DEALING WITH CAREGIVER STRESS THROUGH OUR SAVVY CAREGIVER PROGRAM. SO WE'RE HELPING FOLKS MANAGE THEIR THEIR STRESS, GIVING THEM STRATEGIES ON HOW TO BE A MORE EFFECTIVE CAREGIVERS FOR THEIR LOVED ONES. AND THEN FINALLY EVERYBODY DOES HAS TO HAVE A LEVEL OF EMPATHY AND COMPASSION. WE DO THIS BECAUSE WE LOVE TO DO THIS AND BECAUSE WE LOVE TO WORK WITH SENIORS AND WE UNDERSTAND THAT SENIORS HAVE VARYING CHALLENGES AND WHICH WE HAVE TO BE PATIENT. WE LISTEN AND YOU KNOW, WE'RE SORT OF WE'RE TRAINED TO DO THAT.  THANK YOU. COME TO ME TO.  FERNANDO SANDERSON DO YOU HAVE QUESTIONS SPECIFIC FOR ETHOS FOR ETHOS? NO. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION AND LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR CORPORATE COLLABORATION WHATEVER CAPACITY THAT WE CAN ASSIST.  THANK YOU. THANK YOU. AND I KNOW YOU'LL BE STAYING ON. NEXT WE HAVE BARBARA CRICHLOW FROM THE MILDRED AV COMMUNITY CENTER WHO WILL BE SPEAKING.  THANK YOU. I GUESS IT'S GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE.  GOOD AFTERNOON, BARBARA. NICE THANK YOU FOR HOLDING ON. WE APPRECIATE THAT. WELL, I'M RETIRED SO THIS IS WHAT I CAN DO. BUT I DO WANT TO SAY THAT THE PROGRAM WAS A NECESSITY.  WE HAVE BEEN TRYING TO GET SOMETHING IN THE MATTAPAN AREA THAT COULD SERVICE A LOT OF PEOPLE AND IN VARIOUS WAYS AND MY FRIEND THELMA BURNS OH, I DON'T THINK YOU CAN SEE HER PICTURE BUT I HAVE IT IN FRONT OF MY COMPUTER EVERY DAY. SHE AND I TALKED ABOUT WELL FIRST OF ALL WE USED TO CALL EACH OTHER AND SAY WHAT ARE YOU DOING TODAY?  LET'S GO SHOPPING. LET'S GO TO LUNCH. AND THEN WHILE WE'RE THERE WE JUST TALKED ABOUT SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE'D LIKE TO SEE IN MATTAPAN AND SO WE WERE OUT SEARCHING AND PEOPLE TOLD US WE HAD A RENT WE WOULD HAVE TO RENT A SPACE WE WOULD HAVE TO PAY TO GET A NONPROFIT STATUS.  WE WOULD HAVE TO DO A WHOLE LOT OF THINGS AND AT OUR AGE WE WERE JUST LIKE NO, THIS IS NOT A NOT FOR US. BUT WE KEPT BUMPING TRYING TO FIND SOMEWHERE TO GO AND UNFORTUNATELY THELMA HAD AN ACCIDENT AND SHE WOUND UP PASSING AWAY FOUR MONTHS LATER AND AT HER AFTER HER FUNERAL I WAS GIVEN A WELLNESS CALL FROM ERIKA BUTLER AND SHE SAID SO WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO ABOUT THE SENIOR PROGRAM? AND I SAID WELL THAT'S GOING TO BE ON THE BACK BURNER FOR A WHILE AND WELL, SHE ASKED ME A LOT OF QUESTIONS IN LESS THAN 10 MINUTES WHERE WOULD YOU LIKE TO HAVE IT?  ONE DO YOU WANT TO HAVE A MEETING? WHAT DAY WHAT TIME?  AND THEN SHE SAID I'LL CALL YOU RIGHT BACK BECAUSE I HAD SUGGESTED MILDRED TO HAVE BECAUSE THERE WAS A SENIOR PROGRAM THERE RUN BY SHERRY COPE AND I WAS HOPING THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'D GET IT AGAIN AND SHE SHE SAID I'LL CALL YOU BACK IN 10 MINUTES. 10 MINUTES LATER SHE SAID OH, YOUR MEETING'S NEXT WEEK. AND I WAS I WAS FLOORED BECAUSE I SAID OH, I SAID NOW I'VE GOT TO GET THE COMMISSIONERS INVOLVED LIKE EMILY AND MARTA AND I WANTED TO GET THE ELECTED OFFICIALS I WANTED TO GET SOME SENIORS FROM MATTAPAN THAT TALK BECAUSE I DIDN'T WANT US TO SIT THERE AND NOTHING HAPPENED.  AND THEN A FRIEND OF MINE, RHEA THOMPSON WARFIELD SHE'S FROM THE THE RESOURCE CENTER, THE SUFFOLK COUNTY RESOURCE CENTER. SHE SAID OH CAN I COME? AND I SAID SURE.  SO WE HAD A MEETING THE FOLLOWING WEEK WITH THE HELP OF A STRONG SUPPORT SUPPLY THE REFRESHMENTS AND EVERYTHING.  WITHIN 2 HOURS WE HAD EVERYTHING THAT WE NEEDED EXCEPT FOR THE POOL BECAUSE THE POOL WITH MILTON AVENUE BEING ATTACHED TO THE SCHOOL THE SCHOOL HAD JURISDICTION OVER THE POOL.  SO WE STARTED WITH A WILD STAFF OF AND I SAY WILD BUT IT'S SO COMPLIMENTARY WE HAVE A STAFF OVER AT MILTON AVENUE THAT I THINK IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING WHENEVER ANYBODY WORKING WITH SENIORS YOU'VE GOT TO HAVE THE RIGHT STAFF.  IF THE STAFF IS NOT COMPLIMENTARY.  AND I MEAN LIKE ACCEPTING OF THE SENIORS AND ACTUALLY UNDERSTANDING THAT THEY'RE LIKE A RELATIVE AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO OH, HOW DO I WANT TO SAY YOU DON'T HAVE TO KOWTOW TO THEM.  JUST LET THEM KNOW THAT YOU RESPECT THEM AND I I SEE THAT AND I AND THIS IS NOT AGAINST A STRONG BUT I THINK SOME OF THE STAFF THAT I'M SEEING IS VERY IMMATURE THE YOUNG AND YOU'VE GOT TO HAVE STAFF THAT COMPARABLE FOR THESE PEOPLE.  WHEN WE STARTED THE PROGRAM WITHIN A MONTH WE HAD 40 PEOPLE RIGHT NOW A YEAR LATER WE HAVE OVER 130 MEMBERS. THEY ARE ALL COMING EVERY DAY BECAUSE WE ONLY OPERATE TUESDAYS AND THURSDAYS BUT THEY ARE THE MOST OF THEIR TIME AND FOR PROGRAMING WE WERE JUST FISHING WAY OF WAS ABLE TO HELP US GET AND ARTS INSTRUCTOR I HAD A FRIEND THAT SHE DID GENEALOGY HE CAME IN WE HAVE TECH GOES HOME AND THAT HAS EXPLODED NOT ONLY FOR THE THE KNOWLEDGE OF GIVING THE SENIORS THEIR COMPUTER SKILLS BUT NOW THEY THE SENIORS WANT TO GO FURTHER. THEY WANT TO LEARN HOW TO USE PUBLICATION. THEY WANT TO LEARN HOW TO THEY JUST WANT TO GO FURTHER THAN WHAT THEY WERE TAUGHT.  WE ALSO HAVE ONE I'M ONE OF THE SENIORS IS VERY TALENTED AND SHE'S BEEN WILLING TO DO ARTS AND CRAFTS WITH THE SENIORS WE DO DOING JEWELRY MAKING. WHICH ELSE? I MEAN LIKE IT BLOWN OFF THE TABLE. WE I MEAN IT'S SO EXCITING.  WE HAD DANCE INSTRUCTORS.  SO I AM NOT SURE HOW SOON BUT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE ANOTHER VISIT BY THE BOSTON POLICE ACADEMY.  THE DOOR OPENED UP FOR THEM TO COME AND DO COME IN AND TALK TO THE SENIORS.  AND IT WAS VERY, VERY SUCCESSFUL.  A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING RIGHT NOW ARE ACTUALLY ANSWERS TO WHAT THE SENIORS WANT.  AND WE HAD A A FUNERAL DIRECTOR COME AND ACTUALLY HE GAVE A PRESENT DAY. WE HAD A AN INSURANCE COMPANY COME IN TO TALK ABOUT HOME. I MEAN LIFE INSURANCE AND THOSE KIND OF THINGS THAT THEY YOU KNOW, THE SENIORS ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT.  THEY'RE ALSO LOOKING FOR SOMEBODY WHO'S GOING TO TALK ABOUT WILLS AND TRUSTS.  AGAIN, THESE ARE ISSUES THAT THEY WANT.  SO BASICALLY WHAT WE'RE DOING IS TRYING TO FIND THE PEOPLE THAT WILL DO THIS PRO-BONO AND ACTUALLY EVENTUALLY IT'S TO THEIR ADVANTAGE BECAUSE THE PRESENTATIONS WE'VE HAD AND THEY'VE BEEN SURPRISED BY THE THE SERIOUS QUESTIONS AND SOME OF THE KNOWLEDGE THAT THE SENIORS HAVE.  WE TRY TO HAVE ACTIVITIES LIKE PARTIES.  WE HAD A PARTY LAST YEAR FOR ONE OF OUR SENIORS THAT TURNED 102 AND IT WAS OFF THE CHARTS. WE DIDN'T EXPECT IT TO BE THAT WAY BUT IT WAS AND IT WAS VERY EXCITING AND EVERY SENIOR WITHIN THE PAST YEAR THAT WAS CELEBRATING A BIRTHDAY 90 AND OVER WE CELEBRATED THEIR BIRTHDAY AND HOW WE DID THAT WAS SOME OF THE SENIORS BROUGHT IN ITEMS, THEY BROUGHT CAKES,  THEY BROUGHT IN ADDITIONAL FOOD THAT WAS SERVED.  IT WASN'T LIKE IT WAS LIKE A SISTERHOOD AND THAT'S BASICALLY WHAT WE'RE CALLING IT A SISTERHOOD AND WE DO HAVE SOME GUYS WE HAVE A GUY THAT IS HAVE PICKED UP FROM LAUREN WOODS FROM THE BOSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT AND HER WALKING PROGRAM. SHE HAS THAT AROUND THE CITY OF BOSTON AND SOME DAYS WHEN SHE CAN'T ATTEND WE HAVE ONE OF THE GUYS HE ORGANIZES THE LADIES AND THEY GO AND THEY WALK AROUND. WE CALL IT NORFOLK POCKETS CALL AND THE HUNTER PLAYGROUND BUT THAT'S GOING ON. WE'RE JUST TRYING TO BASICALLY SATISFY THE NEEDS OF THE SENIORS THAT ARE COMING TO OUR PROGRAM AND THEY DO COME FROM EVERYWHERE THEY.  THE CITY OF BOSTON IS SEND WELL THEY DON'T SEND US BUT I SEEN THIS COME FROM THE CITY OF BOSTON AND A FEW OF THEM COME FROM OUTSIDE BUT THE ACTIVITIES IT'S BASICALLY IF THEY WANT IT WE'LL TRY TO MAKE IT HAPPEN.  WE DO HAVE SOME ISSUES AND I WANTED TO TAP INTO THE INTERNET DEPARTMENT OF SERVICES.  I REALLY DON'T THINK BECAUSE ALMOST EVERY DAY WE HAVE A CONVERSATION YOU KNOW WHEN THEY HAVE THE COFFEE AND TEA IN THE MORNING ONE OF THE CONVERSATIONS IS WHAT IS HAPPENING TO BLUE AVENUE WHICH HAS AFFECTED A LOT OF US REGARDLESS OF WHAT PART OF THE CITY WE LIVE IN. BLUE HILL AVENUE WAS ONE BLOCK AWAY FROM MILDRED SHARP AND IF YOU'RE DRIVING OR WALKING OR TAKING THE BUS IT AFFECTS YOU AND THEIR CONCERN IS THAT IT'S NOT SAFE AND SOME DEPARTMENT THAT'S WELL SOME DEPARTMENTS AT CITY HALL ARE NOT REALLY LISTENING TO WHAT SENIORS HAVE TO SAY ABOUT THAT PROJECT.  WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT HOUSING, THAT'S ANOTHER ISSUE. SOME OF THE SENIORS OWN THEIR OWN HOMES BUT THEY YOU KNOW, THEY NEED THE ASSISTANCE OF SO THAT THEY DON'T GET FINES OR WHATEVER SHOVELING RAKING LEAVES TRYING TO MAINTAIN THEIR PROPERTIES. SOME OF THEM YOU KNOW, THEY'VE THEY'VE LOST THE APARTMENT SO HERE WE HAVE EITHER A SINGLE MAN OR A SINGLE FEMALE TRYING TO MAINTAIN THOSE PROPERTIES.  THERE'S JUST SO MANY THINGS THAT THE SENIORS HAVE ISSUES ON AND THAT THEY NEED THEY NEED THAT SUPPORT IN THEIR THEIR I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH MORE WE CAN TALK ABOUT HEALTH BUT WE'VE HAD ISSUES OH, WE HAD AN ISSUE THE DAY THAT THE AT&T AND VERIZON WERE SHUT DOWN.  ONE OF OUR SENIORS WAS HAVING AN EPISODE. UNFORTUNATELY SHE DID NOT BRING HER MONITOR THAT DAY BUT FORTUNATELY WE WERE ABLE TO USE THE LANDLINE AND BE ABLE TO GET AN AMBULANCE THERE.  WE'RE CONSIDERING TAKING THE CERT CLASSES THAT IS BEING PROVIDED BY THE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT BECAUSE WE JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE OKAY.  THINGS THAT WE HAVE COME UP WITH DID NOT SEEM TO BE ON THE RADAR OF A LOT OF ORGANIZATIONS LIKE WE HAVE TO WHEELCHAIRS WENT ON THE FIRST FLOOR ONE ON THE SECOND FLOOR BECAUSE WE ARE ON THE SECOND FLOOR.  I'VE HEARD TALKING TO OTHER SENIOR PROGRAMS.  OH YEAH WE DON'T HAVE ONE OF THOSE. WELL, YOU NEED TO GET UP AND AS FAR AS FUNDING SOME OF OUR PROGRAMS, I YOU KNOW, I MENTIONED IT TO A FEW OTHER PEOPLE AND THEY'RE IN THE SAME BOAT. WE ARE PROGRAMING FOR SENIORS LIKE ARTS AND CRAFTS MUSIC EXERCISE, YOGA.  WE HAVE TAPPED INTO THE BIT PHENIX FITNESS CENTER OVER ON IN SOUTH BAY BECAUSE THEY HAVE A PROGRAM THAT IS VIRTUAL SO WE LIKE WE'VE MADE IT WORK. WE'VE MADE IT WORK WITH THE HELP OF ABC WIRE.  SOME OF THE OTHER THINGS LIKE TRANSPORTATION. EVERYBODY TALKED ABOUT THAT TODAY.  IT'S REALLY A SERIOUS ISSUE IF SENIORS WANT TO GO THEY WANT TO GET TO SOME OF THESE LOCATIONS . A LOT OF MY SENIORS NOW THEY CAN'T WITH EACH OTHER WHEN THEY WANT TO GO SOMEWHERE ANOTHER PERSON MAY BE GOING WITH THEM. EITHER THAT OR THEY WERE ON THEIR WAY TO MILTON AVENUE AND SOMEBODY WILL A GROUP OF THEM WILL CARPOOL AND PICK EACH OTHER UP. SO IT'S KIND OF IT'S A CATCH 22 WHEN SOME OF THE SENIORS ARE NOT AVAILABLE AND THAT PERSON HAS TO TAKE TWO BUSSES TO GET TO MOVE AROUND AND THERE WERE QUITE A FEW OF THOSE THAT DO TAKE TWO BUSSES TO GET TO MILFORD OUT.  BUT IS THE OTHER ONE THING THAT I REALLY WANTED TO ASK WAS AND I ASKED THIS BEFORE WE FOUND THE GRANT BUT WE COULDN'T APPLY FOR IT BECAUSE OUR PROGRAM IS PART OF B C Y YEAH. WE WERE NOT ABLE TO GET THE GRANT AND I'M JUST WONDERING AGAIN IF THE CITY HAS A A THEY DON'T HAVE TO BE A GRANT RIDER BECAUSE THE GRANT THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR AND YOU DON'T NEED IT RIGHT? ALL YOU DO IS ASK ANSWER QUESTIONS.  MONEY IS VERY NEEDED FOR THIS PROGRAM AND HOPEFULLY THESE THESE ISSUES WILL BE ADDRESSED . AND I ALSO WANT TO SAY THIS THERE ARE BUILDINGS IN THE CITY OF BOSTON THAT CAN BE USED FOR THESE ACTIVITIES.  THEY EVEN NEED TO BE UPGRADED OR RENOVATED AND I THINK THE PROGRAM IT IS BOSTON THAT BUILDING WAS RENOVATED AND I THINK THERE ARE MORE LOCATIONS WHERE IN THESE OTHER COMMUNITIES THAT BUILDINGS SITES CAN BE RENOVATED TO SERVICE THE SENIORS. SO I THINK I'M GOING TO END WITH THAT AND ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. THANK YOU, BARBARA AND THANK YOU FOR SHARING OUT ALL HOW HOW IT STARTED AND WHERE YOU ARE NOW. I WAS AT SOME OF THOSE EARLY CONVERSATION YOU HAD WITH THE BRAINSTORMING OF THE SPACE AND THEN ALSO THE PROGRAMING ONCE IT WAS UP AND RUNNING AND THE BIRTHDAY PARTIES ARE EPIC PUT ON YOU'RE DEFINITELY A ROLE MODEL. I'M THINKING AS YOU'RE SPEAKING THAT IT MAY BE A GOOD IDEA FOR THE COUNCIL TO NOT A HEARING BUT MAYBE JUST A ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION WITH PEOPLE LIKE YOU WHO HAVE FOUND WAYS TO MAKE IT WORK AND HOW CAN WE ACCESS OTHER CITY SPACES TO EXPAND ON THE PROGRAMING WE NEED TO CURRENTLY BUT AS WE KNOW WE DO STUDIES WITH THE BPD ABOUT GROWTH IN OUR POPULATION AND WHEN IT COMES TO OTHER AREAS OF THE CITY THAT WE NEED TO EXPAND ON AND OBVIOUSLY WE KNOW OUR POPULATION IS AGING AND WE NEED TO EXPAND ON THE PROGRAMING AT THE CURRENT LEVEL NEVER MIND US WE HAVE MORE SENIORS THAT WILL BE TAKING ACCESS TO THESE GREAT PROGRAMS BUT I WILL GO TO CANCELO WEBER AND THEN COUNCILOR FERNANDES ANDERSON IF THEY HAVE ANY SPECIFIC QUESTIONS FOR YOU. SURE. THANK YOU, CHAIR AND THANK YOU BARBARA FOR ALL YOUR HARD WORK . I GUESS YOU KNOW IF WE HAD THREE PROGRAMING AREAS THAT WE COULD PUSH FOR, YOU KNOW WHAT YOU KNOW WHAT WOULD YOU TELL US THAT WE SHOULD BE FOCUSED ON?  HMM. WELL, FIRST OF ALL, JUST LIKE ERIN JUST SAID, ASK THE SENIORS . LISTEN TO THEM. DON'T TELL YOU THE THEY WILL NOT HESITATE TO TELL YOU WHAT THEY WANT FOR OUR PROGRAM.  THE THERE'S MINOR ISSUES THAT WE NEED TO HAVE ADDRESSED.  PROGRAMING IS THE BIGGEST THING AND ACTUALLY ASK THE SAME IS WHAT THEY WANT JUST LIKE I SAID THEY WANT IT TO HAVE A A FUNERAL DIRECTOR COME IN. WOW. THAT WAS NOT HARD BUT OTHER PEOPLE THOUGHT IT WAS A LITTLE YOU KNOW, OUTSIDE THE COMMUNITY. THEY THOUGHT IT WAS A LITTLE MORBID BUT IT WAS SOMETHING THEY WANTED.  YEAH, THAT AND TALKING ABOUT THE TRUSTS AND ESTATES, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE ALSO MADE A LOT OF SENSE AND IT WAS I DON'T KNOW I HAD TALKED TO ANYONE ABOUT THAT SO THANKS FOR THAT INFORMATION. I THINK THAT'S INCREDIBLY USEFUL IF YOU WILL. TERRY SERIOUSLY WILL TELL YOU EXACTLY WHAT THEY WANT. YEAH. SO I I'M GOING TO SPEND A COUPLE OF HOURS AT THE ELKS LODGE ON THURSDAY TALKING TO SENIORS AND NOW I KNOW I HAVE MY MARCHING ORDERS FROM YOU WHICH I'LL BE ASKING THEM WHAT THEY WANT. I GUESS JUST LAST THING. YEAH, WE CAN WE CONVENE THIS HEARING IN PART TO SEE WHETHER THE CITY WAS PROVIDING SERVICES FOR SENIORS IN AN EQUITABLE MANNER ACROSS THE WHOLE CITY IN A FAIR WAY. YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT A SENIOR CENTER EAST BOSTON AND BRIGHTON. I MEAN, IN YOUR EXPERIENCE DO YOU THINK THE CITY IS DOING A GOOD JOB OR NEEDS TO IMPROVE ON ON WHETHER WE'RE YOU KNOW, WE'RE APPLYING OR TREATING ALL THE NEIGHBORHOODS EQUALLY OR YOU KNOW, WHAT'S YOUR THOUGHTS ON THAT? MM AS SOME OF THOSE FOLKS THAT KNOW ME AT CITY HALL.  PARKS AND REC WE COULD USE MORE BENCHES, LIGHTS CUT THE GRASS,  THE STREETS WE WE HAVE A LOT OF ISSUES ABOUT THAT.  THE PROPERTY MANAGEMENT YEAH WE THERE'S JUST THINGS THAT NEED TO BE DONE. I MENTIONED I SAID THIS AT A LISTENING SESSION BEFORE THE CITY CAN BECOME A SLUM LANDLORD AND IT'S ON ITS WAY BECAUSE THERE'S JUST MINOR THINGS THAT NEED TO BE DONE JUST LIKE IN MATTAPAN WE HAVE TWO POOLS WE CAN'T USE.  THERE WAS AN ARTICLE IN THE PAPER LAST SUMMER APPLES WERE NOT ALLOWED AND I KNOW THERE'S MORE OF THEM AROUND THE CITY FIX A THERE THOSE AREN'T JUST THE KIDS THEY ALSO PUT FAMILIES IS THERE ARE STREETS THAT NEED SPEED CONTROL TRAFFIC CONTROL IT SHOULDN'T TAKE THAT LONG IF WE'RE ASKING FOR A SPEED HUMP TRAFFIC LIGHTS LISTENING PICKS IT. I DON'T KNOW WHY WE HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, GO YEAR AFTER YEAR AND WE'RE FIGHTING THE SAME BATTLES. IT'S NOT RIGHT. IT'S NOT RIGHT AND YOU KNOW, LIKE I SAID, I FOUND A GRANT BUT I COULDN'T GET IT $10,000 WE COULD HAVE USED THAT IN OUR PROGRAM.  I COULDN'T GET IT. JUST THINGS THAT CAN THINGS THAT CAN BE DONE THAT YOU KNOW, LIKE OH SURPRISE. NO, IT'S NOT A SURPRISE.  YOU KNOW AND SENIORS DON'T ASK FOR MUCH.  THEY GIVE A LOT THIS I MEAN LOOK AT MARKETING YOUR ACTION WAS AT MILTON AVENUE A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO THERE THEY WERE HARD COURIER PLAYER ACROSS THE STATE MAYBE THEY WORK HARD AND IT SHOULD NOT BE A THING WHERE THE STATE IS CUTTING THE BUDGET FOR THE SAME PEOPLE THAT BASICALLY PUT THEM IN OFFICE.  OKAY. THANK YOU AND THANK YOU TO YOU COUNCILOR FERNANDA SANDERSON.  MS..  BARBARA, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION AND TESTIMONY. I THINK IT WAS A COMBINATION IN TERMS OF , YOU KNOW, BLUE HILL AVENUE I HEAR YOU LOUD AND CLEAR WE ARE IN THE MIDST OF COORDINATING WITH THE ADMINISTRATION SPECIFICALLY WITH STREET'S CABINET TO PUT TOGETHER A LISTENING SESSION IN COMMUNITY TO TALK ABOUT POLITICAL AVENUE.  YOUR YOUR GRIEVANCES ABOUT BLUE HILL AVENUE HAVE NOT FELL ON DEAF EARS AND THE ADMINISTRATION IS HAS COMMUNICATED THAT THEY ARE WILLING TO HOLD THE CONVERSATION IN COMMUNITY SPECIFICALLY TO ADDRESS THE SENIORS AND SMALL BUSINESS. SO I LOOK FORWARD TO BEING IN THAT MEETING. YOU BETTER BELIEVE THAT I WILL GET THE INFORMATION TO YOU TO MAKE SURE TO ENSURE THAT OUR SENIORS ARE PRESENT AND HEARD. I REALLY, REALLY APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING AND YOUR COURAGE AND YOUR TRANSPARENCY IN TELLING US SPECIFICALLY HEY LOOK, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF THINGS THAT THE CITY COULD BE DOING TO ALLEVIATE SOME OF THIS BEYOND THE ELDER COMMISSION, BEYOND THIS DEPARTMENT. THERE ARE SO MUCH THAT CAN BE ALLEVIATED. I HEAR YOU LOUD AND CLEAR ON PARKS BECAUSE HOW YOU TREAT ME RIGHT HOW YOU TAKE CARE OF MY STREET IS HOW I VISCERALLY INTERNALIZE THAT AND WHAT I FEEL ABOUT MYSELF AND SO IF YOU IF IT WERE IF I LIVE IN A CLEAN STREET AND I COME OUTSIDE AND IT'S CLEAN, IT'S BEAUTIFUL, THEN I TRANSLATE THAT TO HOW THE CITY IS RESPECTING ME AND THAT'S THAT'S JUST HUMAN NATURE RIGHT?  WE ALL DO IT. SO THAT IS A HUGE PRIORITY FOR ME IN TERMS OF MAKING SURE THAT OUR SENIORS ARE TREATED WITH THE UTMOST RESPECT, THAT THEY FEEL LOVED AND THAT THEY FEEL HEARD.  SO I WOULD LOVE TO AT SOME POINT I KNOW THAT YOU'RE NOT IN MY DISTRICT BUT PLEASE FEEL FREE LIKE I CAN REACH OUT WHERE WE CAN TALK MORE ABOUT SOME OF THESE PAIN POINTS IN YOUR AREAS. MATTAPAN IS NEAR AND DEAR TO MY HEART BECAUSE I BELIEVE THAT BECAUSE OF THE LOWER SOCIOECONOMIC CLASS OR MARGINALIZATION THAT'S TAKEN PLACE HISTORICALLY IT'S TAKING TIME AND IT WILL TAKE TIME TO PRIORITIZE EQUITABLY PRIORITIZE AS OUR MOST VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES WHICH IS MATTAPAN BY FAR IT'S NOT ROXBURY, IT'S MATTAPAN AND THEN IT'S ROXBURY. ALTHOUGH MATTAPAN HAS A HIGHER HOME OWNERSHIP RATE STILL THE POVERTY LEVEL IS BELOW ROXBURY AT THIS POINT SO I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS WITH YOU IN THOSE LITTLE THINGS THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT LIKE IT'S SIMPLE LIKE CUT THE GRASS OR CLEAN UP OUR PARKS OR MAKE SURE THE THINGS THAT ARE AVAILABLE. MAYBE IT'S MODULAR FURNISHING IN OUR PARKS WHERE LIKE YOU SAID BENCHES AND OTHER WAYS OF MAKING FEEL MAKING PEOPLE FEEL INCLUDED BECAUSE YOU USE THESE PARKS SO WHERE DO I SAY WHERE DO I GO AND HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO BE TRAVERSING THESE PARKS OR USING THEM AMONGST ALL THIS RUBBLE AND TRASH? AND I SEE THEM I WALK THROUGH MATTAPAN, I SEE IT, IT'S THERE AND IT CONTINUES TO BE A BAD HABIT THAT NEEDS TO BE BROKEN.  I APPRECIATE YOU MISS MISS BARBARA WITH THE UTMOST RESPECT. I THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR HARD WORK AND I LOOK FORWARD TO REACHING OUT TO YOU AND HOPEFULLY WE GIVE YOU YOUR FLOWERS AND CONTINUE TO WORK WITH YOU COLLABORATIVELY.  THANK YOU COUNCILOR AND DISSENT SEND THANK YOU MRS. CRICHLOW FOR YOUR TESTIMONY. WE ARE GOING TO GO ON IF THERE'S ANY PUBLIC TESTIMONY HERE YOU CAN GO TO THE MICROPHONE. YOU HAVE 2 MINUTES PLEASE JUST STATE YOUR NAME AND YOUR AFFILIATION. BARBARA BARBARA, DON'T GO AWAY. YOU'RE MY HERO.  YOU ARE MY NEW HERO. THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU SAID AND THAT'S WHY I AM STANDING UP HERE RIGHT NOW. MY NAME IS JOHN PROVENZANO FROM SOUTH BOSTON. I'M VERY, VERY PROUD OF THAT BECAUSE OF THE THE PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE TO HELP OUT THE ELDERLY, THE YOUTH AND SEE WHY IT IS QUITE A GOOD ORGANIZATION FOR MY FAMILY AND FOR MY NEIGHBOR. THAT'S THE ONE THE ONE QUESTION THAT JUMPED OUT AT ME AT THIS HEARING OBVIOUSLY I'M INTERESTED YOU CAN TELL COUNCILOR I'M HERE ASK THE QUESTION THAT JUST HIT ME RIGHT IN THE HEAD. SHE SAID WHAT SHOULD WE FIGHT FOR? AND MY SUGGESTION WOULD BE WITH ALL DUE RESPECT TO EVERY COUNSELOR THAT EACH COUNSELOR FOR AN IMPORTANT MEETING LIKE THIS HEARING LIKE THIS THAT EACH COUNSELOR TRIED TO RECRUIT THREE PEOPLE FROM THEIR COMMUNITY TO SHOW UP HERE ONE WAY OR ANOTHER TO GET THEM TRANSPORTATION TO SHOW UP HERE AND OUT OF THOSE THREE PEOPLE ONE PERSON COULD BE THE REPRESENTATIVE TO FACE THE PANEL WHICH I RESPECT VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE. THANK YOU AND HAVE THEIR QUESTIONS ANSWERED AND FACE TO FACE IT MAKES SUCH AN IMPORTANT FEELING FOR FOR THAT THOSE THREE PEOPLE CAN GO BACK THOSE THREE PEOPLE CAN GO BACK AND SAY TO THEIR NEIGHBORS THIS IS WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO TRY TO DO FOR US JUST BY THAT ONE QUESTION THAT I HAD SAID ONE QUESTION OUT OF THE THREE REPRESENTING THEM I THINK WOULD BE REALLY IMPORTANT AND I JOTTED DOWN JUST ONE OTHER THING BECAUSE IT WILL NEVER END IN MY YEARS OF UNION SERVICE AND BEFORE ME THERE WAS A FAMOUS LABORER THAT TESTIFIED IN FRONT OF CONGRESS MANY YEARS AGO AND IT WAS FOR AN EIGHT HOUR WORK WEEK AND THE CONGRESS MAN SAID TO HIM AFTER THAT ME OH MY GOODNESS, I'M DONE. YOU'RE DONE BUT FINISH HERE. THANK YOU, BARBARA WHEN THE COUNT WHEN THE CONGRESSMAN ASKED THEM OKAY, WHEN WE GET THIS WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO NOW?  AND THE ANSWER FROM THE UNION OFFICER WAS MORE AND THAT'S WHAT THESE PEOPLE ARE LOOKING FOR INCLUDING MYSELF, FOR MY GRANDCHILDREN AND MY GREAT GRANDCHILDREN SOMETHING MORE TO MAKE US FEEL LIKE WE'RE PART OF THIS COMMUNITY AND SO THAT'S WHAT I'LL LEND HIM WITH. AND BARBARA, IF YOU EVER GET TO CITY HALL, I'D LOVE TO MEET YOU. WE'LL MEET SOMEWHERE ALONG THE LINE. THAT'S A THANK YOU. THANK YOU, COUNCILOR . THANK YOU, MEGAN, FOR TAKING CARE OF MY NAME BECAUSE I DIDN'T WRITE IT DOWN.  I'M SORRY , BUT THIS BROUGHT IT ALL OUT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.  THANK YOU, MR PERKINS. I KNOW ERIN MURPHY. I APPRECIATE THIS MEETING. THANK YOU. CLOSING STATEMENTS TO PUT TO OUR COLLEAGUES TO SEND ME A NOTE. THANK YOU. I THINK EVERYONE FOR COMING AND THANK YOU FOR THAT. YOU KNOW, I THINK WE DO NEED MORE FEEDBACK FROM THE COMMUNITY AND I'LL DEFINITELY TAKE THAT, YOU KNOW, INTO THE NEXT HEARING AND JUST YOU KNOW, I THINK WE'RE ALL TRYING TO DO MORE FOR OUR SENIORS AND AGAIN, I THANK YOU FOR COMING AND THAT'S IT FOR ME . THANK YOU. COUNSELOR FERNANDEZ SANDERSON, ANY CLOSING?  THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. I HAVE ACTUALLY QUESTIONS THAT I'LL SUBMIT TO YOU AND OUR ATTORNEY TO THE ADMINISTRATION IF THAT'S OKAY YES.  ONLY BECAUSE MY FILING WAS A RESOLUTION AND I WOULD LIKE TO PULL IT FROM GREEN SHEETS AND PRESENT A MODIFIED COPY TO GIVE PROPER ANSWERS, ACCURATE ANSWERS AND I LOOK FORWARD TO COMMUNICATING WITH YOUR DEPARTMENT TO JUST GET SOME MORE ACCURACY AROUND WHAT'S HAPPENING IN ROXBURY IN PARTICULAR, WE NEED AND I KNOW THAT THE NEEDS ASSESSMENT IS STILL HAVE STILL TO HAPPEN AND I THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR WORK. I DO TRULY ADMIRE YOU HONESTLY I I THIS IS NEAR AND DEAR TO MY HEART AND I FEEL LIKE YOU'RE DOING THAT ONE OF THE HARDEST JOBS IN THE CITY AND I'VE SEEN COMMISSIONER LIKE IN IN THE WEEDS OF IT AND I'VE SEEN I'VE SEEN YOU WITH WATER IN THE WEEDS OF IT SERVING FOOD WITH YOU KNOW WITH YOUR EVENTS AND SO IT'S BEYOND JUST YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT A TOP TO BOTTOM APPROACH AND I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT YOU ARE HUMBLE ENOUGH TO DO THIS JOB IN THIS WAY WITH A LOT OF INTENTION. THIS DEPARTMENT IS I'M PARTIAL BUT NOT I KNOW THAT YOU KNOW THIS VERY LUCKY TO HAVE MISS HORNER AND SO GLAD THAT YOU'RE THERE BRINGING THIS FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVES AND YOUR GENIUS. BUT I LOOK FORWARD TO GETTING THOSE RESPONSES. I LOOK FORWARD TO BUILDING UP A RESOLUTION THAT LOOKS MORE SOLID. MS. BARBARA, I WILL BE REACHING OUT TO YOU. YOU'VE YOU'VE GAINED A FRIEND WHETHER YOU WANT IT OR NOT AND I'D LOOK FORWARD TO MORE COLLABORATIVE WORK. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OKAY.  THANK YOU, BARBARA. AND THANK YOU TO THE PANELIST CHIEF AND COMMISSIONER AND H STRONG. I KNOW ALL YOU DO AND I THINK WE HAD A PRODUCTIVE HEARING.  DOCKET 0509 WE'LL KEEP IT IN COMMITTEE. THERE'S ALWAYS OPPORTUNITIES TO TALK MORE ABOUT THIS BUT THANK YOU AND I KNOW WE'LL HAVE MORE CONVERSATIONS WHEN IT COMES TO THE BUDGET. THIS WAS HELPFUL. I KNOW THE HEARING WE HAD ON THE ON ALL THE GRANTS WAS ALSO HELPFUL ABOUT THE TRANSPORTATION AND ALL THE SERVICES YOU DO PROVIDE IN YOUR PARTNERSHIP WITH OTHER AGENCIES ACROSS CITY AND STATE WHICH MAKE I THINK YOUR JOB EVEN MORE DIFFICULT THAT IT'S NOT DIRECTLY COMING FROM YOUR SMALL BUT MIGHTY OFFICE DOWNSTAIRS IN THE BASEMENT.  BUT THANK YOU ALL AND THAT IS DOCKET 0509 IS ADJOURNED. Q THANK YOU