Ann Arbor senior center says Washtenaw millage will fund $200,000-a-year program expansion

The Ann Arbor Senior Center has new funding and programs in the works, City of Ann Arbor recreation officials said on Senior Moments, a community television program.

Brittany Patton, City of Ann Arbor recreation supervisor, said the center "were very lucky to be recipients of the Washtenaw County Older Adults Millage Fund" and that "each year for the next 6 years we're allotted $200,000 to this center specifically," money she said has allowed the center to create programs and add staff and resources. Patton said some of the millage funds will be used to update the facility and pursue ADA-related structural improvements during the millage cycle.

The funding arrives as the center expands its regular and special programming. Patton described a lineup that includes workshops called Art in the Park and Creative Connections, a monthly flower-arranging class (materials and instruction provided), clay jewelry and watercolor workshops, and a regular pickleball clinic led by a volunteer. "The variety is just continuing to grow," she said.

Jana Husted, the senior center's new full-time staff member, outlined outreach and off-site activities that supplement on-site programs. "One of our kind of big partnerships is with Lurie Terrace," Husted said, describing monthly trivia visits to that senior living community. Husted also detailed weekly park walks — typically a one-mile loop at a different Ann Arbor park on Fridays with a small picnic afterward — and a bird-walk series for beginners run in partnership with the city's environmental educator.

The center maintains a low-cost membership model: Patton said annual membership costs $25 for an individual and $35 for a two-person household, and that many programs are priced affordably (she gave the example of a $12 nonmember / $10 member fee for the flower-arranging workshop). For residents who meet income eligibility, Patton described a park scholarship program administered by City of Ann Arbor parks customer service that can provide free membership and access to city pools, golf courses and other facilities.

The senior center has seven staff in total, Patton said, with two staff dedicated to facility rentals and others focused on check-in and program facilitation. Patton also noted the center received a spring grant through the Michigan Association of Senior Centers and Molina Healthcare to offer a series of technology workshops — cybersecurity, password protection, social media and AI topics — with half the classes held at Lurie Terrace and free to older residents.

Patton encouraged listeners to try programs before joining: the center is open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and prospective members may attend any program once for free. She also said the center distributes a free weekly newsletter on Mondays and can add people to the mailing list by phone.

Officials said the millage dollars have given the center room to expand offerings and address facility accessibility, while continuing partnerships with organizations such as Washtenaw Community College, Jewish Family Services, Lurie Terrace and other local senior centers. "It does allow us to make purchases, and be able to be a little bit more elaborate with our schedule because we have more staff available and more resources," Patton said.

The program ended with an invitation to viewers to visit the center or call for more information; Patton said scholarship paperwork is available at the senior center but that the city parks customer service office at Cobblestone Farm processes the applications.