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Council on Aging reports rising participation, earmark funds for shared-services needs assessment with Medway
Summary
Council on Aging Director Anne Marie Gagnon reported increased visits and program attendance; the COA received state grant funding and an earmark to study shared services with Medway and will conduct a needs assessment of residents aged 60+.
Anne Marie Gagnon, director of the Millis Council on Aging (COA), told the Finance Committee the COA has expanded programming and seen steady attendance growth: average daily attendance rose from roughly 65 pre-pandemic to about 97 and is trending above 100 in recent months.
Gagnon said the COA's operating expenses are level-funded in the FY2026 request but highlighted other funding sources: the COA receives more than $33,000 annually from the Executive Office of Elder Affairs and noted that a recent earmark funded a shared-services study with Medway performed by the UMass Boston Collins Center. The study identified potential collaboration opportunities and the COA has secured a second earmark (approximately $50,000) to conduct a needs assessment of town residents age 60 and over; focus groups and a report are planned for later in the year.
Gagnon described expanded transportation, volunteer engagement and program offerings and said the COA added staff hours in the prior year to keep the center open longer. Committee members praised the COA’s volunteer support and programming and asked the director to continue refining data collection and outreach metrics.
