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HomeMy WebLinkAbout7.2 - Step Out for Senior Centers Event �("ek Of 1�19 � 82 / AGENDA STATEMENT SENIOR CENTER ADVISORY COMMITTEE kiFOR�# MEETING DATE: February 1, 2007 SUBJECT: Step Out for Senior Centers Event Report Prepared by Anna Hudson, Recreation Coordinator ATTACHMENTS: None RECOMMENDATION: Receive report,provide input on the program plan and appoint two Committee Members to serve on a subcommittee to assist with event planning and promotion. FINANCIAL STATEMENT: None DESCRIPTION: The Dublin Senior Center will sponsor the 6th Annual "Step Out for Senior Centers" event in May. Staff proposes offering the event again this year and would like the Committee Members' feedback on the event theme, date, time and components. Background The "Step Out" Event was originally created to celebrate Senior Center Awareness Week and Older Americans Month and was co-sponsored by the California Parks and Recreation Society.-The Dublin event has been held on a Saturday in May and traditionally began with a one-mile walk led by the Mayor. and Council, followed by a free pancake breakfast, an art exhibit featuring Senior Center artists, mini- workshops, and a resource fair consisting of senior service providers. Last year's theme was called "Connecting with your Inner Spirit". The purpose of the event has been to: - Promote the activities and programs of the Dublin Senior Center. - Promote a healthy lifestyles and lifelong learning. - Educate the public about services available to seniors and their families. Evaluation Comments from Last Year Overall, the Committee Members felt that the event was good. However, the Committee Members agreed that a more effective means be developed to better measure the results. Other comments included: a) Did the "Step Out" event promote health and wellness? The workshops and walk definitely provided some form of health and wellness to seniors. b) Did the event incorporate an outreach component by conducting a service outside the Center to attract new seniors to the Senior Center? Committee Member (CM) Gifford felt that she saw many new faces at this event. However, more marketing is needed to make sure that the community is aware of this event. COPIES TO: ITEM NO.: 7.2 G:\SRCTRADVCMTE\Statements\2007\2-1-07 Step out for senior centers event.doe c) Did the event promote the "Connecting with Your Inner Spirit" theme? The workshops helped to promote the theme the most. d) Did the event educate the public and potential new Senior Center supporters about the services available to seniors and their families? The Information and Resources Fair attempted to provide information about a variety of senior services to seniors and their families. e) Do you feel our goals were accomplished? The Senior Center should plan out its marketing strategy now and be ongoing. (1) For example, it was suggested that vendor information be placed in the next newsletter for the supporters to refer to for future reference. (2) The Committee Members agreed that information and referral should be an ongoing process. (3) The evaluation form should include the following three questions: (a) Did you learn any new information about the Senior Center? (b) Do you have any recommendations for improvement? (c) Do you have any compliments or positive remarks to share? (4) CM Gifford suggested using door prizes as an incentive for participants to participate in the evaluation. Information could be obtained from the participants that would inquire about: a. How they learned about the event? b. If they enjoyed the day's event? c. If it was their first time visiting the Senior Center? f) Publicity: It was suggested that the Foundation be approached about purchasing an outdoor sign board for the Senior Center. This type of sign board could possibly draw new people to the Center. g) Promote health and wellness: It was suggested that a healthier food choice be offered at breakfast and as refreshments. Staff stated they were originally going to offer fruit but the cost was prohibitive. The Committee felt that having the popcorn was a great idea. h) Other Comments: 1) The Step Out event appeared to attract a lot of new faces and a diverse crowd. 2) It was suggested that the Senior Center consider providing a wider variety of activities and programs to meet the different needs of the senior community. a) How do we attract those seniors to participate in a given event? b) How do we know if we accomplished our goals that we set out to do? 3) It was stated that trends have shown that seniors are now working longer and no longer retiring at an early age. Staff agreed that the trend for the Senior Center is to offer activities in the evening to reach working seniors. 4) It was suggested that lunch be made available for purchase during the Step Out event. 5) It was suggested that lunch tickets be given to each vendor and that lunch be monitored by a volunteer. 6) It was suggested that the Senior Center develop a marketing plan to draw new patrons to these types of events. For example, caregivers (adult children who are taking care of their parents) may be able to obtain information about senior services. There may be another market segment' that we can try to draw to the Center. Staff suggested making three or four appearances on Cable TV Channel 30 to promote senior services as an ongoing goal from this point forward. RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends the Committee receive the report, provide input on the program plan and appoint two Committee Members to serve on a subcommittee to assist with event planning and promotion. 2 of 2