Iowa City senior center reports tax-aid, Medicare counseling and food‑rescue gains; outreach expands to North Liberty

Emily Andreton, senior center staff, told the Iowa City Senior Center Commission that the center’s AARP tax-aid and Medicare counseling programs reached hundreds of residents last year.

She said the center prepared 375 federal tax returns for the 2023 tax season, with an average adjusted gross income of $39,238 for those filers, and that the total federal refunds from those returns amounted to $366,241. “The AARP tax program is geared toward people with low to moderate income,” Andreton said, and most clients were age 60 or older.

The center’s SHIP Medicare counseling program recorded 1,813 client contacts in 2024, Andreton said, and the counseling team logged 1,094 contacts during the three months of Medicare open enrollment. For enrollments the program documented, she said the total documented cost savings for 2024 was $578,689.

Why it matters: those programs return direct dollars to low‑ and moderate‑income older residents and help people navigate Medicare enrollment and appeals, reducing out‑of‑pocket costs and confusion that can limit access to care.

Program partnerships and off‑site work: Andreton outlined several partnerships that extend the center’s reach. Table to Table, a local food‑rescue nonprofit, delivers groceries to the center on Monday mornings; staff said weekly shoppers number about 40–60 people and that more than 110 individuals have registered for the service. The center also hosts SHIP appointments at the Mercer Park Aquatic Center and at the North Liberty Public Library (and nearby Ranchaw House) during open enrollment.

Andreton described new and expanding classes delivered off site: Walk with Ease, a program of the Arthritis Foundation, has 20 people enrolled at the North Liberty Recreation Center; a Qigong class in North Liberty has 18 participants; and the center has extended membership discounts for North Liberty residents under a grant that expires in June.

Outreach and communications: Andreton told commissioners the center’s email subscriber list has grown to 5,645 addresses since switching to the city’s GovDelivery system about 18 months ago, a rise she said is linked to higher class signups and participation.

Events and fundraising: commissioners heard details about the center’s upcoming Black History Ball, scheduled for February 8, 7–11 p.m. Ticket price was listed at $60; Andreton said discounted and scholarship tickets are available and that proceeds underwrite discounted field trips for seniors (this year’s trip planned to the Figge Art Museum in the Quad Cities).

Volunteer and staffing notes: the center has added massage therapy appointments and expanded volunteers for Table to Table deliveries. Andreton said she has an intern joining soon to help with off‑site programs.

Ending: commissioners praised the numbers and urged staff to continue publicizing outcomes; staff said they will use the center’s statistics to support outreach and future budget requests.