Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Aging Services topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Community Matters tells supervisors it connects older residents to classes, wellness and volunteer opportunities
Summary
Jane Moy, program coordinator for Powhatan County's Community Matters, told supervisors the county‑run program for adults 55+ relies on one staff coordinator and volunteers, serves hundreds of participants monthly, and needs more staff, promotion and space to expand services.
Jane Moy, program coordinator for Community Matters, told the Powhatan County Board of Supervisors on June 22 that the county program provides classes, wellness activities and volunteer‑run offerings for adults age 55 and older and is built around one staff coordinator supported heavily by volunteers. "Community Matters is a Powhatan County program serving as a gateway to connection, learning, enrichment and meaningful experiences for adults," Moy said.
Moy described the program's range — from music (a mountain‑dulcimer lending library started by longtime participant Betty Ashmore) to Tai Chi, balance and strength classes, nutrition and fraud‑prevention workshops, and the Humblebee blanket project that donates fleece blankets to a children's hospital. For April she reported 341 unduplicated program registrations (422 duplicated sign‑ins); May registrations were 257 unduplicated (294 duplicated sign‑ins).
The program operates with a single staff member, Moy said, and leans on volunteers for outreach and facilitation. "There's a limitation there — I just can't," Moy said of coordinating and promoting events alone, adding that promotion and staffing are the program's biggest constraints. Board members and attendees praised the program's quick growth and local partnerships; one speaker noted the program's recognition regionally and suggested a tour of Chesterfield County's Lifelong Learning Institute to adopt best practices.
Why it matters: Powhatan's population is aging — Moy and other speakers noted that residents 55 and older are a growing share of the electorate and county population — which increases demand for programs that reduce isolation and support healthy aging. Moy asked the board and county administrators to consider more formal promotion, additional staff capacity and space options so the program can expand offerings and reach more residents.
Next steps: Moy invited supervisors and administrators to coordinate a tour of neighboring programs and said Community Matters will continue to look for partnerships and volunteer support while tracking participation data to guide future requests for resources.
