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COA advisory committee launches 'Free Produce Friday,' outlines senior services and staffing updates
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Summary
At its July 21 meeting in East Jordan, the COA Advisory Committee heard an executive director report launching a Free Produce Friday distribution to address Senior Project Fresh enrollment problems, expanded NMCAA partnerships, facility and staffing updates, and plans for a Beaver Island program. Routine agenda items were approved by consent.
The COA Advisory Committee met July 21, 2025, at the East Jordan Senior Center, with Wanda Carr presiding as meeting chair. The executive director reported several program and operational updates, including a new Free Produce Friday distribution at the senior centers and on Beaver Island to address problems with Senior Project Fresh enrollment by the state.
The executive director said the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services has struggled to sign up farmers for Senior Project Fresh (SPF). To ensure seniors still receive fresh food, COA will run Free Produce Friday box distributions at centers and on Beaver Island in partnership with Manna, the report said. The committee was also told COA is expanding its relationship with the Northern Michigan Community Action Agency (NMCAA), which will present and provide services including free will and end-of-life planning assistance, MMAP/MIPPA-related training, housing and energy-efficiency services, and outreach for the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP).
Why it matters: the initiatives affect homebound and center-attending seniors across the service area, and represent COA’s short-term response to state-level program rollout problems. The report also describes potential impacts on nutrition and household costs for seniors, and identifies NMCAA as a local partner for outreach and service delivery.
Details from the executive director’s report included a note that NMCAA will provide IRS-certified free tax-preparation assistance through VITA/TCE training and that NMCAA’s CSFP work targets seniors age 60 and older with USDA foods. The director also said that the Area Agency on Aging of Northern Michigan conducted a recent assessment that COA passed with results described as exceeding requirements; the Area Agency discontinued MMAP/MIPPA in March, and NMCAA is planning to take the lead on related training and assistance with support from the Area Agency.
Facility and staffing items included a BASC roof-repair plan (the director cited a $5,000 roof repair cost to be split with the BASC Inc. board), an unchanged lease renewed May 1, 2025, and several kitchen staffing changes: Maria will leave due to pregnancy, Paul H. asked to be reassigned to East Jordan effective Aug. 4, 2025, and hires for the Boyne kitchen include Sydney and a staff member named James. The Chest (Chx) renovation has concluded with an official ribbon-cutting; parking-lot work is scheduled for the next fiscal year.
On Beaver Island, the director reported efforts to restart the BI Fit Program for seniors with a planned start date of Oct. 1, 2025, expanded activities using the Peaine Township hall, and the launch of monthly congregate meals beginning in October. The director characterized these items as part of ongoing efforts to increase local programming and improve access in more remote communities.
Procedural business: the meeting approved the agenda and the minutes from the prior meeting by consent (motion to approve the agenda by Janet Kalbfell, supported by Cathy Kessler; motion to approve minutes by Cathy Kessler, supported by Janet Kalbfell). A motion to adjourn by Janet Kalbfell, supported by Cathy Kessler, was also approved by consent.
The committee recorded no public comment and had no new business or commissioner reports. The next meeting is scheduled for Sept. 22, 2025, at the Charlevoix Senior Center Conference Room.