Minutes
Council On Aging · from the Town's website · 4 pages · 35 KB
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MEETING MINUTES WINTHROP COUNCIL ON AGING Date: Thursday, March 12, 2026 Time: 10:30 AM Location: Robert A. DeLeo Senior Center 35 Harvard Street, Winthrop, MA 02152 Present: Matt Rodes, Director, Council on Aging Nicole Rizzotto, Assistant Director and Outreach Coordinator, Council on Aging Linda Cronin Andrea DeSouza Kathy Driscoll Cynthia Huff Heather Martin Absent: Alice Haskell, Chair, Council on Aging Mary Vitale I. Call to Order The Meeting was called to order by Matt Rodes, Director, Council on Aging, at 10:32AM. II. Approval of Minutes A Motion was made by Cynthia Huff and seconded by Heather Martin to approve the Minutes of the January 8, 2026, Council on Aging Meeting. The Minutes were approved. III. Programs Report A. Matt Rodes reported that our Program Coordinator, Rose Kaye, has resigned. Matt and Nicole will be handling the responsibilities of the Program Coordinator until a new person is hired. Senior Clerk Pat Stathopoulos is resigning as well. B. Matt Rodes reported that our later Monday hours are going well, especially the cardio- drumming class. Annette Rotigliano, the cardio-drumming instructor, will be adding a second monthly class, most likely beginning in May. The cardio-drumming classes will most likely take place on the first and third Mondays of the month, but some may need to be changed. The classes will continue to run from 4 PM to 5 PM. Participants will be able to sign up for both classes at the same time, with a waiting list. This option may be changed to only allowing sign-ups for one class at a time in order to allow all interested persons to attend at least one class per month. C. Matt Rodes reported that the Friends of the Winthrop Council on Aging are planning to host pasta dinners in June and August. The cost will be $25 per person. These dinners will likely be held from 4:30 PM to 6:30 PM and will be limited to 50 attendees. Kirsten Kilburn of the Friends is coordinating these events. The Friends may need volunteers to help with these events. D. Matt Rodes reported that preparations for our April 23 Health Fair are coming along very well. We have had a good response from vendors already. Trish Vann will be conducting a yoga demonstration at 11 AM, and Annette Rotigliano will be conducting a cardio- drumming demonstration at 1 PM. Matt reported that we may schedule an informational talk at 12 PM; this has not yet been decided. We may need set-up help in the morning. IV. Outreach Report Matt Rodes reported that he had participated in a Zoom meeting with the Mass Councils on Aging (MCOA) regarding SNAP Benefits. He reported that we could become a partner with them and could issue SNAP Benefits at the Senior Center. Matt reported that he would look further into this, and it will require training on the part of the Senior Center. V. Director ’ s Report A. Matt Rodes reported that both Rose Kaye, our Program Coordinator, and Pat Stathopoulos, Senior Clerk, are retiring. Rose ’ s retirement was official as of last week; Pat ’ s is still in the works. Matt reported he is going to make changes to the hours of these positions. The Programs Coordinator position should be posted soon, and new hours – from 12 PM to 6 PM on Mondays – will be added to the position ’ s current Tuesday and Wednesday 9 AM to 3 PM hours. B. A candidate for the driver of our new minivan was interviewed this week. We are waiting for background information on this candidate – Bobby DiLorenzo – and are then hoping to offer him the job. We are hoping to have him start this position on March 24. He will need to have a week of training. We are hoping to use the minivan for the longer-distance medical appointment rides which will free up the regular van for the local trips. The new minivan is all set to go. We are planning to obtain a runner as it is a bit high. Nicole Rizzotto will handle the scheduling for the medical rides, and we may need to make some scheduling changes. Regarding the regular van and shopping trip rides, Matt reported that we will have to limit each shopping trip ride to four people at a time, with a limit of six shopping bags per person. Matt indicated that we may add a Monday afternoon shopping trip to the current schedule. C. Matt Rodes reported that Roberta Daly and Jane Riley-Leonard are teaching Mah Jong lessons on the first Mondays of the month. New players will likely require three or four lessons before playing with the usual weekly players. They are thinking they may schedule a Mah Jong tournament, perhaps in the Fall. D. Matt Rodes reported that our St. Patrick ’ s Day party is scheduled for Tuesday, March 17. Cynthia Huff asked if decaf coffee could be served at this event as many people at our last event had asked for decaf coffee. Matt said that this could be done. E. Matt Rodes reported that the Friends of the Winthrop Council on Aging will be subsidizing a Tall Ships Harbor Cruise on The Spirit of Boston on Sunday, July 12. The full cost of the cruise is $169 person, and the Friends will be subsidizing $119 of the full cost, so the cost for this cruise will be only $50 per person. People interested in this cruise will be able to sign up as of April 1. This will be a 7:30 AM to 3:30 PM event. F. Matt Rodes reported that Nicole Rizzotto is currently handling the Charlie Card application program at the Senior Center. G. Matt Rodes reported that the 2026 Tax Work-Off Program is up and running. Applications are available at the Senior Center and online and are due back at the Senior Center on Friday, March 27 at noon. The work-off amount is $750, and participants must complete 50 hours of work. Work can be completed through November 13; the Town Clerk ’ s Office is going to take two participants to help with the November elections. There are 20 spots available; if more than 20 people apply, winners will be chosen by lottery. If there are less than 20 applicants, any additional interested applicants could be chosen on a rolling basis. H. Matt Rodes reported that a painting class with Dawn Mahoney will be held on Monday, March 16, from 4:00 PM to 5:30 PM. The cost for this class is $15, and there is still space available. I. Matt Rodes reported that Maureen McAdams will conduct a Broken Jewelry Workshop on Monday, March 30. J. Matt Rodes reported that we will be having a second Movie Day in March, on Monday, March 23. The movie will be “ Knives Out ” . K. Matt Rodes reported that Buonfiglio Funeral Home will be conducting an informational session on Final Planning. There will also be a bird house painting session included with this. L. Matt Rodes reported that the Winthrop Commission on Disabilities will be conducting an informational session on Staying in Your Home on Wednesday, March 25. They have three additional talks lined up as well. M. Matt Rodes reported that Jay Higgins from Representative Katherine Clarke ’ s office will be at the Senior Center on Tuesday, March 31, from 10:30 to 11:30. N. Matt Rodes reported that Judie Van Kooiman won the Raffle Basket donated by the Friends of the Winthrop Council on Aging for their February fundraiser. Their next fundraiser, a basket containing items for a Mexican food dinner, will be held in May or June. They are also planning to conduct an Indoor Yard Sale at the Senior Center on Saturday, September 26, from 9 AM to 1 PM and are hoping to have another fundraiser at LaSiesta. O. Matt Rodes reported that this year, instead of having individual insurance companies conducting individual informational sessions on health insurance plans, we are hoping to have an Open Enrollment event this Fall which will include all the insurance companies at one time and place. P. Matt Rodes reported that Scott Mahoney who conducts our monthly Tech Class at the Senior Center asked if the Senior Center would be interested in having a table at the Town ’ s Pride Potluck on Saturday, June 13, from 2 PM to 6 PM. We will be looking for volunteers to host the Senior Center ’ s table, perhaps in shifts. Q. Matt Rodes reported that the Lighthouse Nursing Home is planning to host another lunch event. R. Heather Martin asked if the Delvena Theatre ’ s Julia Child presentation had been scheduled yet. Matt Rodes reported that they have gotten the Grant, but they have not yet been scheduled. S. Matt Rodes reported that a Dietician will be at the Senior Center on April 1 for individual sessions with anyone interested. Each individual session should last from 20 to 30 minutes. VI. Old Business Matt Rodes reported that at our next meeting on May 14, he would like the Council to vote on the appointment of a Chair and Vice-Chair. VII. New Business There was no new business to report. VIII. Adjournment There being no further business, a Motion to adjourn was made by Heather Martin and seconded by Andrea DeSouza. The meeting was adjourned at 11:14 AM. Our next meeting will be on Thursday, May 14, 2026. Respectfully Submitted Kathy Driscoll, Secretary, Winthrop Council on Aging Adopted by the Board at the meeting of May 14, 2026 ___________________________________ Alice Haskell, Chair Winthrop Council on Aging