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Senior center staff outline Black Future Fest events, food drive and staffing changes
Summary
Staff announced the new program guide, a Black Future Fest running Jan. 19–Feb. 19 with a Jan. 19 MLK Day food drive, a Jan. 15 concert livestream, a Feb. 4 Joffrey Ballet 'Dancing with Parkinson's' class, plus staff transitions including a Dec. 29 retirement and a Jan. 5 new hire.
Latasha Deloach, identified in the meeting as the coordinator/staff member, told commissioners the senior center's new program guide is available online and being mailed to participants and that the center will host a series of Black Future Fest events running roughly from January 19 through February 19. "The new program guide is out online as well as in the building," Deloach said in the transcript.
Deloach highlighted a January 19 event that will include a food drive for the Sears Center Pantry tied to MLK Day; staff asked community members to bring nonperishable foods and said the center will operate limited hours (10 a.m. to 2 p.m.) that day for the drive and an art workshop connected to the festival. She also said the Voice of Experience concert has been moved to January 15 at 2:00 p.m. and will be livestreamed for people who cannot attend in person.
The commission heard that the center has confirmed a hire: Angela is scheduled to start Jan. 5, and staff described her as experienced in senior programming. The transcript also records that long-time staff member Michelle Buman will retire, with her last day noted as December 29; staff commented that she has been at the center for "almost 30 years." Deloach said the center will adjust hours over the holiday period and resume regular evening and weekend hours in early January.
Other programs noted: a partnership with Hancher to bring an instructor from the Joffrey Ballet to teach a 'Dancing with Parkinson's' class (tentatively February 4) and a Feb. 19 panel titled "Beyond Divides and Iowa City's Black Community: Building Bridges Between Us," where Mayor Brooke Kemp is scheduled to participate. Deloach encouraged commissioners to consult icgov.org/bff for event details and partners.
Where the transcript records dates or times (for example, the Jan. 15 concert and Jan. 5 start date for the new hire), the article reports them as provided by staff during the meeting; other scheduling details were described as tentative and subject to confirmation at the January meeting.
