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Gladstone Community Center reports record September attendance; foundation previews events and projects
Summary
Staff reported more than 1,700 visits to the center in September, full classes and popular events; the foundation previewed a Minidoka Swing Band concert, a Friendsgiving meal and an advancing smoke-alarm and signage project.
Michelle, speaking for Gladstone Community Center staff, told the advisory board that September was very busy and that the center recorded "over 1,700 people" visiting for activities, lunches and clinics — roughly 500 more than a typical month, she said.
She summarized programs that drew high participation: a volunteer recognition event, an AARP safe-driving class (with only about five spots left for the next session in September), Music on the Greens (an outdoor event with more than 200 attendees), full community classes (Tai chi, yoga, Drums Alive and adult painting) and active tech-help drop-in sessions. Michelle also said the center is experimenting with a company that can estimate event attendance and visitor ZIP codes from cellphone data; a board member asked about privacy implications and Michelle said she would look up applicable privacy laws and that she was only collecting ZIP codes, not names or phone numbers.
Michelle noted the center served 45 homebound meal recipients in September through its meals-on-wheels program and credited a new kitchen staffer, Monica, for reducing food waste by repurposing surplus meals into frozen dinners for participants.
Representatives of the community center foundation provided an update on foundation activities: a Minidoka Swing Band concert at 2 p.m. Saturday at the high school, a 50th-anniversary dinner (about 13–14 couples attended) with donated photographs to be provided to attendees, and a Friendsgiving meal planned for Nov. 20 with two seatings. The foundation said a contractor for a smoke-alarm installation project has been out of town but will resume work when available, and they reiterated interest in getting the new community-center sign installed as soon as possible.
The chair thanked staff and foundation volunteers for their work and the board adjourned at 4:09 p.m.; the next meeting was set for Nov. 18 at 3:30 p.m.
