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Smithfield senior center director outlines outreach, mobile food bank and expanded transportation
Summary
New senior center director Vinzabeli summarized upgrades to technology and phones, a new mobile food‑bank program delivering fresh food to senior housing, expanded transit runs and a community open house Sept. 25 as part of a larger plan to improve social connection and prepare for aging populations in Smithfield.
Director Vinzabeli, the town’s new senior center director, presented an update to the Smithfield Town Council on Sept. 2 outlining staff changes, operations improvements and outreach programs intended to increase social connection for older residents.
Vinzabeli said the senior center and the human services department have focused since his April 7 start on four priorities: making the center welcoming and safe, ensuring confidentiality and high‑quality service, broadening engagement with residents across age ranges and strengthening community connections so older residents can age in place.
Recent changes and programs he described include upgrades to the phone system and technology infrastructure, an assessment of needed physical repairs at the facility, and coordination of eight separate local food‑bank partners to reduce duplication and improve access. Vinzabeli described a mobile food‑bank pickup program that started roughly three weeks before the meeting: staff collect fresh produce and other donations from community partners and deliver them to elderly housing complexes on Thursdays after other food‑bank distributions close.
Transportation and engagement: Vinzabeli said the town’s three vehicles (a van, a small bus and a 20‑passenger bus) increased scheduled runs from twice weekly to three or four times weekly to meet demand. He described a "hop‑on the bus" outreach in which the town manager and police chief rode routes to speak with riders directly; he said residents raised safety and tree‑overhang issues as well as practical needs such as food access.
Programming and facilities: the senior center resumed and expanded programming, including a planned community open house on Sept. 25 to mark 30 years of senior sessions. Vinzabeli said a golf‑simulator program has generated strong interest but has also strained indoor space and requires new funding and grant support. He said staff are pursuing state and local grants to sustain programming amid tight municipal budgets.
Public engagement: Council members asked for a one‑ or two‑page summary of the operational changes to enter into the meeting record; Vinzabeli said staff will provide that and reiterated the center’s approach to gathering public feedback through regular advisory‑council meetings, staff outreach and informal conversations on transit runs.
Ending: The director framed the work as an effort to keep residents connected and prepared for demographic change: the 45–55 age group is the town’s largest cohort and will create new service demands as it ages. The council did not take formal action on the presentation but asked for follow‑up materials to be entered into the public record.
