Simsbury social services outlines programs, budgets and usage as senior center renovations proceed

Simsbury’s director of community and social services, Kristen Formanak, and senior center coordinator Kathleen “Kathy” Marshall described the town’s programs, budgets and usage statistics during a Community Conversations interview conducted by Simsbury Community Media.

Formanak said social services, which oversees the Simsbury Senior Center and other town programs, seeks to help residents “maintain their independence, remain in their homes, to help people meet their basic needs.” Kathy Marshall said the senior center serves adults 50 and older and offers fitness classes, two hot meals a week, lifelong‑learning sessions and intergenerational events.

The discussion matters because the department supports a range of services — transportation, food assistance, youth diversion and tenant protections — that directly affect residents’ access to health care, food and community programs while operating on a modest municipal budget.

Formanak and Marshall reported usage and program details. The town’s Dial‑A‑Ride program had 181 registered riders in the most recent 12‑month reporting period; the vehicles traveled 40,874 miles and made 5,364 trips. The town contracts the service to a private operator and received Connecticut Department of Transportation Section 5310 grants in consecutive years to replace vehicles, taking delivery of two new buses in 2023 and 2024. Formanak said the town budgets to replace buses roughly every five years or at 100,000 miles.

Marshall described senior‑center programming including chair yoga, line dancing, strength training, a new three‑week memory series, a writing workshop, bridge and watercolor groups, monthly intergenerational programs and a planned August pizza-and-concert event featuring youth musicians. She said the center serves hot meals twice weekly and relies on volunteers for meals and other services.

Food security work: the town relocated its food distribution to First Church of Christ in Simsbury in January. Formanak said 130 households are registered for the pantry and the program serves an average of about 85 households per month. She said donors and local organizations — including the Rotary Club of Granby and Simsbury and the community program Thrive Farm — supply food and gift‑card support for families.

Formanak summarized other direct‑service programs: last year the town helped 177 households through the Connecticut Energy Assistance Program (winter heating assistance); the back‑to‑school program provided school supplies or gift cards to about 85 children last year; and the town’s holiday program supported 112 children from 49 families. The social services financial assistance process covers emergency needs such as rent, utilities or medical bills after an eligibility application is completed with staff.

Commissions and partnerships: Formanak said the juvenile review board operates as a diversion program for youth arrested on non‑felony charges (the board’s hearings on cases are closed and youth are identified by case numbers). She said the Fair Rent Commission was dormant for more than 30 years, the town revised the ordinance and procedures, and the commission has since held three conferences and heard two cases with results Formanak described as positive for tenants and landlords.

Public‑safety and fall prevention: staff described a Steps to Safety program based on a fire and fall safety model from the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). The town’s elderly outreach coordinator refers seniors who fall; Formanak said 37 referrals were made to the Steps to Safety program last year. Formanak also noted a partnership with a volunteer Loan Locker at the Apple Barn that supplies mobility equipment when available.

Budget and staffing: Formanak said the social services operating budget is “just above $350,000,” the senior center budget is “just above $170,000,” and the town’s contract for senior transportation is in the roughly $180,000 range. She described a small staff that includes herself, an administrative assistant, a full‑time community social worker, a part‑time elderly outreach worker and senior‑center café staff, as well as volunteers who help run programs.

Facilities work and access: the town is renovating the south side of Eno Memorial Hall to add a second accessible entrance; work began in June and was described as scheduled for completion in September. Marshall said project communication has minimized disruption and the second accessible entry will improve access.

How to find services: both Formanak and Marshall pointed viewers to the town website and the senior center’s bimonthly newsletter (available online or by mail), and to the department Facebook page. They urged residents to call the senior center at Eno Memorial Hall, 754 Hot Meadow Street, for help or referrals.

The interview also noted that Simsbury Community Media is a public access station that solicited donations to support its programming.