Powhatan's Community Matters program highlights services for residents 55+ and warns of staffing limits

Community Matters staff and volunteers briefed the board on June 22 about the county's active-aging program that offers classes, wellness activities and social events for adults 55 and older.

"Community Matters is a program that is a Powhatan County program serving as a gateway to connection learning enrichment and meaningful experiences for adults," said Jane Moy, who identified herself as the program coordinator. Presenters and volunteers described educational sessions (history, writing, nutrition), fitness options (strength, balance, Tai Chi) and volunteer-led special projects such as a fleece-blanket drive for a children's hospital.

Moy and other speakers said the program is heavily volunteer-dependent and operates with a single staff coordinator. Moy said staffing and promotion are the largest constraints: in April the program recorded 341 unduplicated registrations (422 duplicated sign-ins); in May that fell to 257 unduplicated registrations and 294 sign-ins. Volunteer organizer Lynn and others said volunteers provide outreach and instruction but more consistent promotion and additional staff would expand participation.

"By 2033, the residents 55 and above will make up 42.6% of the population," one presenter noted to underline demand for services and civic engagement opportunities for older residents.

Speakers asked the board to help with outreach, including using a planned public-information officer to amplify listings and help consolidate calendars; staff said community matters currently posts to a standalone Facebook page and coordinates with Parks & Rec for calendar listings. The presentation closed with an invitation for supervisors and county staff to tour neighboring programs to learn models for scaling the initiative.

The board thanked presenters and offered general support; no formal action was taken during the meeting.