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Philomath inclusivity committee maps age-friendly work and senior society next steps
Summary
Jane Sherwood presented an age-friendly community plan based on AARP guidance and the committee weighed short-term, low-cost steps, grant options and whether to make the grassroots 'Philomath Sensational Senior Society' an official city committee to secure modest reimbursement.
Jane Sherwood told the Philomath Inclusivity Committee on Thursday that the group’s age-friendly work can start small even if the full AARP five‑year process is not adopted.
“We started back in 2023 doing some research … we wrote our age friendly proclamation, which we have now as part of our community’s celebration of age friendliness,” Jane Sherwood said, describing how the committee has run monthly informational sessions, partnered with local organizations and piloted activities to boost social participation for older residents.
The proposal matters because members said many activities that improve seniors’ quality of life — such as better park access, monthly social programs and locally run workshops — also benefit other age groups. Sherwood emphasized the committee can repurpose AARP materials without formally joining the five‑year network, and pointed to short-term grants the AARP offers with a January application window.
Committee members discussed a practical path forward: pick one of AARP’s eight domains (for example, outdoor spaces and buildings or social participation), develop modest, visible actions the city could implement within the coming fiscal year, and prepare a brief proposal to feed into the municipal budget cycle. Members highlighted immediate, low-cost ideas such as monthly craft or game sessions, chair-based exercise, and partnerships with library and community organizations that already host events.
The group also considered formalizing a local volunteer group known during the meeting as the Philomath Sensational Senior Society. Members said becoming an official city committee could allow a small budget to reimburse supplies and make the effort sustainable when current volunteers step down. Sherwood and others noted the administrative requirement would likely include holding official meetings with minutes and filing reports.
On funding, Sherwood summarized available options and cautioned the five‑year AARP pathway can be a large commitment; she recommended starting with smaller projects and applying for short-term grants where eligible. A committee member suggested using collected community feedback (cards and tabling responses) as supporting data for grant applications.
Next steps: the committee agreed to add a compact AARP data/slide summary to the July packet, follow up with a written one‑page explanation of the domains for members to review, and report back on potential grant leads and budget timing at the next meeting. The committee did not vote on joining the AARP network or adopt any formal resolution during the June session.
