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°'-'; AUG 28 1 jzncil on Aging Activities and the Senior Center
1. BACKGROUND
The Lexington Council on Aging was organized in the winter of 1976.
The goal of the CoA program is to assist in the creation of a reason-
able living environment which will enable the elderly to continue to
live in Lexington when their incomes have been greatly reduced by
retirement and eroded by inflation, and when some require relief
from loneliness or assistance due to infirmities. The CoA is an
advocate for the 4500 senior citizens.
in 1976 a questionnaire Was sent to all Lexington senior citizens
asking the to state their particular needs. These needs were assessed,
and theCoun.•il has been working to fill these needs since that time.
The first CoA newsletter was written in March of that year. A coordina-
tor was found who volunteered four hours a week and staffed the
office with other volunteers the remainder of the time. The office
activities were then in two rooms on the second floor of the
Visitor's Center. The Coordinator went on the payroll in June of 1976
as a part-time Town employee.
The Council on Aging was originally composed of seven members who
served up to three year terms. In 1978 the Board was enlarged to
eleven members. At the 1978 Town Meeting a resolution was passed
endorsing the. concept of a Senior Center. The resolution read:
"'Whereas more than 4,000 persons in Lexington are 60 years of age or
older, (greater than 10g of the population) and there is no adequate
space currently available in Lexington for said Senior Citizens to
meet on a d=aily basis, and whereas a Senior Center would help
alley-late loneliness for the many senior citizens who live by them-
selves, provide intellectual stimulation, provide a place to develop
and pursue Interests, provide a place to congregate for meals, and
provide information and referral; and whereas spaces are needed as
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a .day care center for the frail elderly to help them maintain them-
e
selves in their own home environment. Therefore, this Town Meeting
resolves to request prompt action by the Board of Selectman and the
Senior Center Site Committee to develop a plan for permanent, and if
necessary, temporary facilities to serve adequately the needs of our
senior citizens as set forth above. It is further resolved that a
written progress report is requested on or before May 15, 1978.
William Sen, Chairman of the Council on Aging, was recognized at the
request of Roy Weinstein, Town Meeting Member and also a member- of
the Council oh Aging. Mr. Sen spoke to the needs of the elderly and
of the necessity of having a first floor office for the CoA rather
that the second floor of the Visitor's Center as they presently have.
Mrs. Battin commented that the Board of Selectmen unanimously supports
this article and that they have appointed the Senior Center Site
Committee to study the va! ,ous sites and that they are to report back
to the Board with a progress report by May 15, 1978. "
In August 1978 The CoA moved from the temporary quarters in the
Visitor's Center to somewhat larger,. still temporary, quarters in the
Church of Our Redeemer. This move allowed the CoA to start several
programs on an "experimental" basis as outlined to the 1978 Town
Meeting. These are among the programs reviewed in part II of this
report. One of the major reasons for the move was to provide "experi-
mental prom ' that a senior center would indeed, be used. We include
a chart at the end of this report, covering, 1977/78 and
1978/79 showing the growth of the programs in the "experimental"center
at the Church of Our Redeemer.
In meeting its charge to assist the seniors, the CoA engages in
activities which fall into three broad catagories. First, there are
several existing organizations and established services designed to
assist seniors. The Council provides an information center which may
be called for "Information and Referral" to any of the existing services
provided by other organizations. The Council Telephone number, 861-0195
is now called over 5000 timesper year by people in need of such guidance.
An additional 4500 visits per year are made to the CoA Drop-In-Center.
A second broad catagory of COA activities includes services provided
directly to seniors by the CoA. These consist of programs not gennerally
supplied by other groups, activities called for by CoA clientele, and
needs perceived by the CoA and introduced at first, on a trial basis.
The bulk of the next section of this report will be devoted to such
activities.
The third broad activity of the CoA is its role as an advocate for the
seniors vis a vis, Town and State Government. There are projects which
are desirable but which cannot be funded from gifts or volunteer services,
or from the CoA Town budget, for example, a nutrition program. Like other
formal advocacy groups in Town Government (Recreation Comm. , School Comm. )
it is the CoA's role to demonstrate such needs and initiate such projects
in the Town Government structure. The final section of this report will
be devoted to one such project, albeit the largest one - the proposed
Senior Center.
II CoA ACTIVITIES
The activities which have been organized and/or supported directly by
the CoA are listed below:
IDENTIFICATION and DISCOUNT CARD issuance was the first program that was
established by the Council. At present over 2000 Lexington citizens over
60 years of age have visited the CoA to obtain such a card. Over ?5 stores
in Lexington and surrounding towns offer Lexington seniors discounts
ranging from 10% to 40%. These stores were all contacted, and a discount
book was produced by volunteers. The booklet has been updated once.
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ARLEX TAXI CO. has offered the senior citizens taxi coupons, available
through the CoA office. These coupons can give the seniors a 20% dis-
count on taxi fares.
FRIENDLY VISITOR PROGRAM - presently 30 volunteer visitors visit 30
shut-ins once a week for approximately one hour. There is a monthly
meeting of these Friendly Visitors at which a Geriatric Social Worker
from Mystic Valley Mental Health is available for advice. A year and a
half ago high School students became involved as visitors, and now 15
students are numbered among our visitors. The bridging of the genera-
tion gap is one of our great delights. Numbers, of course, do not tell
the human story of ah activity such as Friendly Visitors. For example,
George, a young man who was one of our high school visitors, formed a
great and loving relationship with an elderly gentleman, Mr. Y. The
man had no son and the two were marvelous with each other. Mr. Y. got
ill and had to go to a Nursing Home. The young man was there to help
ease the pain of the transition. He still visited the elder and helped
him get his house in order, figuratively and physically. Mr. Y. repeat-
edly stated what joy had been brought to his life by George. When the
end came George brought flowers to put on Mr. Y's casket.
GROCERY SHOPPING FOR THE SHUT-INS - was initiated by the CoA in conjunc-
tion with Concord Hill Market and FISH (Friendly Immediate Service and
Help) Emergency drivers. The drivers deliver food weekly which has been
ordered from the market. The identification cards are used to identify
seniors to the market. The drivers return to the market with the payments.
Although this program has not yet met its potential, it has served a
half a dozen clients extremely well for over three years. These people are
among the most satisfied clients we have. A couple of them have not been
out of their houses for years, and the delivery enables them to live at
home. de have many kind thank-you cards to testify to their gratefulness.
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TE EOA33E PROGRAM - reassurance calls, has grown from three seniors,four
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years ago, to fourteen people at present. The Staff or.Volunteers call
these people each morning to check their well being, and to offer a
cheerful Hello seven days a week. This, again, is a small but most
important program. In conjunction with various other programs it helps
keep elderly seniors in their own homes instead of living out their days
in Nursing Homes. It helps maintain independence, which is what much of
life is all about. Sometities Telecare is the only contact these people
have all day with another human voice. We have also been instrumental
in getting these clients to receive proper and prompt medical assistance
when they becdm? i11. We become adept at what each of their voices sound
like, and can frequently tell by listening if they are not in reasonably
good health. Nevertheless, unhappy surprises do occur. On one occasion
the coordinator had been talking and joking with a gentleman. All seemed
fine. However, the next morning we received no answer to our call. Our
emergency teat went into action. We notified his family. They found that
he had died some time during the previous day. The coordinator felt
solace in that she was probably the last person that this man had talked
to, and that he was in a good frame of mind and was happy. When emer-
gencies occur we have a procedure to follow. We have the names of next
of kin, or neighbors who have keys. We have had keys ourselves at
different times. If we get no answer we wait 15 minutes and call again.
If after the third call, we still receive no answer we call their friends
or family, and if there is still noresponse , we then notify the police
and go to the person's house along with the police. Fortunately, we never
have had to break down a door, but if the case arises We will get in by
whatever means are necessary. Of course there is a responsibility on the
part of the client as well, and that is that they MUST let us know if
they are not to be at home on a certain morning.
INFORMATION AND REFERRAL - is a critical part of the work of the Council
office. This is taken care of mostly by the CoA staff, but many respon-
sible volunteers help with this program under the staff 's supervision.
This service has grown rapidly as the CoA became better known. In the
fiscal year ending in June 1978, 2538 callers were provided with infor-
mation on programs available from the CoA and other agencies. In the
year ending June 1979, 4994 calls were handled.
OUTREACH PROGRAM - is maintained by a "Senior Aide", Mrs. Stohn, funded by
Minuteman Home Care Corp. She works 24 hours per week. She visits shut-ins
and is our emergency caller. If we feel we have lost contact with a
person, she calls or visits to see if everything is all right. If we hear
of any probiem,Mrs. Stohn makes contact. In one case, for example, she
was instrumental in rendering first aid and continued surveillance to an
elderly lady in town. The woman had been hallucinating. Mrs. Stohn con-
tacted Mystic Valley Mental Health and together they solved the problem.
The woman had been taking too many medications. Now that the problem is
solved the woman is fine again. And, returning once again to one of our
main themes, she is still able to live alone at the age of 87.
MEALS ON WHEELS PROGRAMS. This is one of our most successful programs
and has celebrated its third birthday with a party at the Church of Our
Redeemer. In 1977 Dr. Sylvia Merfeld and the CoA Coordinator, Joan
Melcher, arranged, with Symmes Hospital, to provide meals to shut-ins .
Two meals are delivered daily about noon; a hot main meal and a light
supper. As usual, we started slowly, but present serve between thirty
and thirty-six clients on a five day per week basis. Dr. Merfeld resigned
In February and now Mrs. Ruth Sawyer is in charge of the program. We
cater to clients ' special, diets and preferences. If a client cannot afford
the price of these meals, special arrangements can be made via a CoA
"scholarship fund". Sixty-five volunteers, both men and women, pack and
deliver the meals . The drivers also serve as Friendly Visitors to the
recipients. We have found that people who have been careless in their
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appearance suddenly dress up to receive these callers. In addition, often
friendships develop so that much more is accomplished that just the
delivery of meals. The drivers often spot health or physical problems
that can be alleviated at an early time, and they often provide much
needed conversation and human contact.
EMERGENCY MEAL PACKAGES - of a different kind can also be obtained from
the CoA office. We feel that it is a good idea for seniors to have these
packages handy in case of a blizzard or other problems. They are composed
of canned or packaged food, in individual servings, which can be used
hot or cola. They should be kept on hand for anyone who cannot shop
readily.
FACTS LUNCHEON - (Female Adolescent Community Treatment Services).
These luncheon6 served by girls and their teachers from a Boston Half
Way House, are another nutrition oriented project. These get togethers
were helpful to the seniors who were served a good, nutritious lunch for
a very reasonable cost, and also were beneficial to the girls to enable
them to get involved again, and to do something worthwhile. Unfortunately
because the following year the girls ' school schedules did not permit the
girls to leave school before 1:30 p.m. and that was too late for the
seniors' lunch hour. We have also had a group of Boy Scouts serve lunch
during their Easter vacation. This was also so successful for all concerned
that the scouts plan to repeat this luncheon during other vacation weeks
in the coming year.
CONGREGATE MEALS - this is one of the programs which has been postponed
due to inadequate space. The program provides nutritious meals at the
very low cost 01.65) to Seniors. We estimate the needs of Lexington
seniors to be about 13,000 of such meals per year. At present Lexington
citizens can only get such meals in other towns, such as Bedford and
Arlington. The average travel cost alone to these nutrition sites exceeds
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by far the cost of the meals, and precludes use by most potential
Lexington users. As a result, in 1979 for example, Drily 653 of such meals
were served to Lexington residents in place of the estimated 13,000 meals
needed. The cost of these meals has in the past, been picked up by a
combination of Federal and State Programs. Lexington may still be able to
obtain such aid, but by delaying this nutrition program, it may have
already forfeied such help.
MINI BUS - this program has been in effect for three years. Each Friday
a bus will pick-up a senior or -handicapped person at their own door and
take them shopping, to Lexington center or to Burlington Mall. They can
stay at the Mall for several hours and then be returned home. All anyone
has to do, to avail oneself of the opportunity, is to call the C & W
Transportation Co. (862-4747 ) .Thursday or Friday morning early to make
reservations. Although the Lexpress has cut into our number of riders
to a large extent we feel this program is still very important. The
special services enables some people to get out of their homes who other-
wise would be unable to do so. A special kind of friendship has developed
on these weekly trips and the people have developed a caring attitude for
one another. A very special gentleman has volunteered his services for
these three years He helps the people off and on the bus, helps them
with their packages, takes them into their homes, and acts as host of the
entire trip.
TRIPS AND RECREATION -Barbara Luckmann, Carolyn Deloury and the CoA
Coordinator are in charge of the planning and executing of at least
three trips and various recreational affairs monthly. They try to suit
everyone's taste from baseball games,to sailing around the Tall Ships,.
to attendance at symphonies. Over 700 different people have participated
and enjoyed these trips in 1979. People pay for their own admissions
and/or lunch. The CoA budget covers some of the cost of the busses and
helps with other senior club activities. It is often not a matter of not
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being able to afford special trips and concerts, but as one gets older
the problems of organizing such an outing, driving the car and parking
increases severely. The CoA does the organizing and people can go to
many more functions. Also the companionship is so important, especially
to the new senior residents in town.
Picnics during the summer months are sponsored jointly by the CoA and the
Recreation Department. These are held at the "Old Res" and well over
100 seniors have attended each time. We also hold Pot Luck Suppers,
Sing-a-.longs, and Bovies at the Church of Our Redeemer in the early
evenings. An indoor picnic met with great success.
NEWSLETTER - these are published monthly and mailed to all seniors. Over
51, 000 newsletters were mailed last year. The Newsletter editorial board,
Elizabeth War and Margarite Cronin, meet twice monthly with the Coordina-
tor to plan and write the newsletter. We write articles of special
interest and publish ideas and articles submitted by readers. We also
take this means of keeping all the readers informed of our many events
and social functions and other events of interest to Seniors.
We have a committee of men that mimeograph the letters at the high school.
Two days are spent collating the letters by volunteers, who use this time
for socializing, as well as doing very important work. The cost of mail-
ing these newsletters has recently been greatly reduced. The mailing is
now done by The Friends of the CoA, a non-profit organization described
later in this review.
ELDER CHORUS - YOUNG AT HEART - the chorus meets with leaders, Marian
Fitzpatrick and Lyn VerMeer, Wednesdays at Estabrook Hall. The chorus
has 25 members who enjoy singing and entertaining in Nursing Homes and
other organizations in Lexington and surrounding towns. Not only is
singing fun, but it helps with exercise and breathing of the singers.
The chorus is a sheer delight to listen to, a case in which both the per-
former and the audience benefits.
LEGAL AID - Paul McNamara, a paralegal, sponsored by the Minute Home
Care Corp. comes to the office semi-monthly to help .the seniors ' legal
and medical problems. Sixty-seven different people took advantage of
this service last year (F/Y 79) . We are most enthusiastic about this
program as it helps defray the cost of much legal advice etc.
TAX AND FINANCIAL HELP - John Carlson, treasurer of the CoA donated his
time to help seniors with any problems of this nature. This was a new
and very needed program. John's untimely death in May of this year will
set back this valuable program, run by an invaluable man who will be
greatly missed.
TEE OIL PROGRAM - otherwise known as Emergency Energy Assistance Program,
Winter Emergency Assistance Program and most recently the Somerville,
Caibridge Economic Opportunity Committee, Inc. was run during the fall,
winter and spring of 79/80 entirely and capably by our CETA worker,
Frank DiMaria. Over 170 Lexington clients, who need help with their oil
and utility bills, and met financial guide lines, have been helped this
winter. Mr. DiMaria was the only full-time employee of the Council on
Aging. It would be useful, were privacy not essential, if these cases
could be reviewed by Town Meeting, some of whose members truly-believe
that there are no needy in Lexington.
BRIDGE LESSONS - are offered weekly by Morris Freifelder. This program
continues 10 months a year when Mr. Frief elder is in town.
DROP IN CENTER - although often crowded and uncomfortable, the Drop-In-
Center is open three days a week. Seniors come for games of all. kinds ,
bring their lunch and are furnished coffee and cookies, compliments for
the year of 1979 of the Lions ' Club. This center often helps seniors with
a cnange of atmosphere. It enables them to get out of their own homes ,
if even for a few hours, to make new friends and to partake of strictly
social meetings. We have husbands who drop their wives off here, and
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wives who drop their husbands off here for a few hours so that they can
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go shopping. Often we have seniors, who are just plain lonely and bored
at being alone, come down and meet new people. The Drop-In-Center enjoyed
4421 visits in FY'79, up from 1945 in 1978. This is another example of
the increasing effect, reputation and use which the CoA is having in its
"experimental" center.
CoA OPEN HOUSE - is held at the Great Hall of the Church of Our Redeemer
when the Coordinator and staff feel there is a program of interest to
seniors. We try to keep these programs informative as well as fun for all.
We are always recipients of delicious refreshments furnished by volunteers.
We have had as many as 90 people at an Open House.
ARTS AND CRAFTS - co-sponsored by the CoA and the Recreation Department.
The seniors learn all kinds of new skills under delightful and talented
teachers. The present facilities are inadequate, however, and with proper
facilities this program could be greatly expanded in FY'79, 14 seniors
joined these classes. Handicrafts in the forms of afghans and woolen
slippers have been made and donated to Middlesex County Hospital and the
New England Rehabilitation Center (again benefiting both' the giver and
receiver) . These hospitals either give or loan the articles to their
patients who are always delighted at these lovely, colorful gifts.
JOB PLACEMENT AND COD'ANIONS - this program is carried out by the
Coordinator. It typically takes several hours to make a compatible match.
We have a list of ladies, with good references, who will work for pay
for clients and are able to provide a great variety of different kinds of
services. This, again, is really a two-way street serving both the com-
panions and the clients. This service helps keep the sick, or recovering
patients in their own homes and out of the hospital. On the average three
placements weekly are made.
COUNSELLING - . is a major service offered , under the guidance of
Mystic Valley Mental Health Inc. . , by the Coordinator. Many times just
someone to talk things over with is all that is needed. We have ears that
are always willing to listen and hearts to sympathize. In the FJ '79 year
37 people received such counselling.
MINUTEMAN HOME CARE CORP. AND TRI COMMUNITY CLINICS - these are agencies
Which work closely with the CoA and which provide needed services to the
seniors. The Minute Man Home Care Corp. is a state funded organization
which provides services to seniors whose income falls within certain
guide line. The Lexington CoA uses $2,244 of its budget to support MMHCC.
The CoA also provides members and alternates to the MMHCC Board of
Directors. In return for this input Lexington residents received in
FY '?9, for esanple, $46,000 worth of assistance. In addition to services
mentioned elsewhere in this report
MMHCC supplies chore and homemaker
assistance. In Fy'79 the former were supplied to 20 and the latter to
22 Lexington residents.
The TriCommunity Clinics in FY'?9 served almost 200 Lexington residents
on almost 1000 visits.
VOLUNTEERS - none of the activities described above could be accomplished
without the many many hours of willing work done by a total of well over
a hundred volunteers. Volunteers augment the part-time staff of the CoA,
working in the office doing most important, but sometimes tedious work.
The number of volunteer hours devoted to CCA work in FY '79, including
Meals on Wheels, discussed above, was 6,255.This involved 125 different
individuals. The monetary value of the hours and of the almost 15,000
miles driven by CoA volunteers is about $21,000. This, and the MMHCC
contributions valued at $46,000. greatly exceed the effectiveness of the
CoA budget of x;26,820. and stretch its effectiveness by 3i times. But
much more important, the wonderful volunteers, who help out repeatedly,
often on short notice, provide the real spirit and life of the CoA and
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are representative of the human value of the services provided to the
seniors. We can never repay these faithful volunteers except by a
"well done" and their own knowledge that they perform an important job
well and with love for other human beings.
CO: '"ITTEE ON COUNCIL ON AGING (from surrounding towns) - was conceived
by this office as a way of listening, learning and helping. We can
exchange ideas with other towns with similar problems and programs.
This group Meets quarterly but all the coordinators are willing to help
each other when any difficult problem situation arises.
LEXINGTON ASSISTANCE FUND - conducted by Joseph Rooney and the Coordina-
tor and a committee of 5 business people in Lexington. This committee
hears problems mostly financial of people in town. It offers usually
one time assistance to these emergencies in the form of a check for
outstanding kills for food itself.
WORKING WITH THE HIGH SCHOOL - EDUCATION COURSES - education classes for
senors are held at the high school due to lack of space at our rooms. _
Twice during this year various high school groups have held delicious
buffet suppers for the seniors in which almost 200 seniors partook each
time.
FRIENDS OF THE COUNCIL ON AGING - is a relatively new group with Mary
MacDonald as Chairperson. This group is a nonprofit organization composed
to town people of all ages, to act as advocates for the council, to raise
money for the council's needs and to broaden the sources of guidance for
the Council activities. They are willing to help in any future needs of
the Center we dream of someday occupying.
FUTURE NEEDS - we truly need a Center that is large enough to enable us
to carry out our many diversified programs in pleasant and adequate
surroundings, to allow these programs to grow to service the seniors
wee need them. We outgrew the Visitors Center. Although the Church of
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Our Redeemer has been a marvelous host and catered to us whenever
possible, we are rapidly outgrowing our present quarters. We do need
Congregate Meals in a barrier free place and a kitchen to facilitate
any cooking that we do. Many residents would come daily, not only for a
nutritious meal, at a reasonable price, but for companionship as well.
There is nothing like companionship to tempt the palate. With proper
space, pertinent programs, as well as weekly dances, could be held after
lunch. Health needs could also be addressed.
We do not know, for sure, what the future holds, but we can foresee a
a future when oil gets even more expensive and the houses have to be kept
colder than the elderly can safely occupy. Then seniors will spend more
and more time et a Center in order to keep warm and save money on fuel
and food as Well.
The Arts arid. Crafts Room could be considerably expanded into a more
inviting environment where finished handcraft could be made and displayed
and possibly sold in a Gift Shop for handmade items are of interest to
us all.
We need a root to carry on the office mechanics of getting out the
Newsletter and xeroxing our many papers. Much time 'is now spent in going
to the Town Hall for this process. We believe we could obtain the
machinery, as a gift, if we had place to use it.
A Counselling Room and a private office for the Coordinatorare also badly
needed. Many times a senior person in desperate need of counselling is
forced, because of lack of space, to sit in the busy CoA office and tell
her private story and seek help in a public bustling room completely
devoid of privacy. The CETA Worker and Paralegal need privacy to deal
with their clients. It seems particularly cruel that when people are
under stress that this office and this town cannot offer a quiets private
place to sit and talk.
The CoA does not provide services or receive calls for help from all the
seniors or even a majority. But many of the seniors do need help.
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We live in an economy in which inflation is contributed to both by
shortages of raw material and by overt government actions and policy.
Seniors who have saved frugally for retirement have most often seen the
real value of their savings and personal income cut in half in five to
ten years. These blows occur when infirmity of age and loss of family
frequently make it most difficult to recover. We believe we must provide
assistance. One should no tore deny the needs of a non-majority but needy
group of our seniors than one would deny special help to the small per-
centage of special needs school population.
These problems will not diminish but will increase as the economic
problems continue and the number Of seniors increase. Lexington is
nearing a period when our senior population and our school aged popula-
tion will be equal, yet the funds available for their very different
problems differ by almost 1000 to 1.
In 1979, 4421 people came through the doors of the CoA for some reason,
double the number of the previous years. You must bear in mind that four
and a half short years ago the Council on Aging in Lexington did not
exist. There is no Other Council, Committee or Club that has seen such
rapid growth. This is because we are filling a desperate need for many
seniors of Lexington.
Won't you help us find a Center that will be the pride of all of Us?
II ::IMS SET FOR THE NEAR FUTURE:
1. Insure availability of heated emergency shelters or sleeping quarters.
2. Initiate a Congregate Meals Program in Lexington to provide inexpen-
sive, nutritious meals at low cost subsidized by Federal and State
Programs.
3. Proceed toward implementation of a permanent Senior Center. The present
pilot center has proven successful.
4. Continue to develop a committee structure for the CoA to involve more
townspeople and to enable the CoA to involve itself in additional
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activities.
5. Improve Outreach by making services available to seniors in
outlying areas of Lexington.
III FISTORY OF ACTIONS ON A LEXINGTON SENIOR CENTER
See attached Sheet