From the Maplewood Department of Community Services
Maplewood has much to offer its intergenerational population and is committed to continuing to build an age-friendly community. To that end The Maplewood Seniors Advisory Committee was formed as a subcommittee of the Maplewood Township Committee to advise the township on ways to create an environment where senior citizens can age in place for as long as possible with quality of life, civic and political engagement, and assistance in health, safety, communication and other issues affecting seniors.
Township Committee Liaison & Deputy Mayor Dean Dafis says, “The Senior Advisory Committee has been critical in making the Township more age-friendly, in raising awareness about seniors’ vulnerabilities, their concerns, and their needs. Because of the Committee, older adults aren’t invisible any longer. We strive for a fully inclusive community without discrimination of age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, race, religion, ethnicity or immigration status.”
Melissa Mancuso, Director, Maplewood Department of Community Services has been proactive in creating safe, affordable and accessible social, recreational, and educational programming that engages and celebrates older adults. With people quarantining, the Department addressed loneliness and isolation by delivering to homes ‘Sunshine Kits’, ‘Baking Kits’, and ‘Grocery Shop & Drops’, as well as providing socially distanced outdoor events. “Working with the senior community is extremely rewarding,” says Melissa, “and we invite feedback so that we can fill gaps in programming and new offerings. All town issues are seniors issues, and making sure their perspective is shared and understood is a goal of the Department of Community Services and the Seniors Advisory Committee.”
The Maplewood Seniors Advisory Committee holds public meetings, currently on Zoom, during which residents are invited to speak individually and collectively. The Advisory Committee identifies the needs of the senior population and makes recommendations as to how these needs can best be met given the resources of the governing body and town departments. Co-Chair Joan Crystal says, “We want to create an environment for seniors to share their individual problems so we can help resolve them. By learning these concerns through community input we can best advise the Township Committee and departments on actions needed to make it possible for older adults to remain in Maplewood for as long as possible.”
Ordinance 2844-16 requires that at least one member under the age of 25 serve on the committee with 6 senior citizens, among 11 appointed members, each with 3-year terms. Sydney Larrier is the newest and youngest member appointed to the Maplewood Seniors Advisory Committee and is Co-Chair. Sydney’s focus in 2021 will be to address accessibility issues within local small businesses and public spaces. Sydney states, “The Maplewood Seniors Advisory Committee is ready and eager to do all in its power to improve life for Maplewood’s senior residents; whether that means lending its voice to statewide calls for age-friendly legislation and action, or speaking to local business owners about improving age-friendly access and offerings.”
From installing benches as resting points around town for walkers to take a break and enjoy Maplewood’s fine scenery, to fitness classes and informative lectures, Community Services takes its cue from the Seniors Advisory Committee to meet the needs of the diverse aging demographic. Advocating for the over-65 set for 28 years, Senior Program Supervisor Michelle Wesley has created a welcoming Senior Center at 106 Burnett Ave. According to Michelle, “We offer everything from mahjong and yoga to fun field trips and themed seasonal parties. We went virtual during the pandemic and look forward to inviting our golden agers back to our facilities when it is safe to gather in person again.”
During the pandemic Michelle interacted daily with elders scheduling transportation and checking in on their needs by phone, along with quick, distanced visits with ‘Kit’ and essential grocery drop offs. For the future, Michelle is hoping to host a ‘Silver Prom,’ complete with corsages and dancing, as well as to bring back ‘Seniors Serving Seniors,’ originally created in the ‘80s by Andy Shue (as she calls him), where CHS seniors help with things such as changing a light bulb or shoveling snow for retirees who need help.
Recent Maplewood Senior Advisory Committee Contributions and Initiatives:
- Lending its voice to the call for senior tax relief at the state level. The Senior Freeze Property Tax Program has been re-installed and the deadline extended to December 31, 2021.
- Operation Blue Angel which created lock boxes for 911 access to police, fire and ambulance to enter homes in case of an emergency.
- Age-Friendly Criteria helps with accessibility to events, as well as the general nature of activities being considered from block parties to special open-to-the-public events.
- In the works: to create a mechanism and chain of responses for a senior or child prone to wandering and getting lost, including collaboration with the police department, coordinated social media efforts, as well as guidelines for families with people apt to wander so that it will be easier to locate them. The utilization of tracking devices is being considered.
The Maplewood Seniors Advisory Committee works in unison with the SOMA Two Towns For All Ages initiative which aims to identify, develop and coordinate resources, policies, programs and services that support and empower all residents of Maplewood and South Orange to age in place, as full members of the community. SOMA Two Towns for All Ages is a proud member of the AARP Network of Livable Communities and supported through the generosity of The Grotta Fund for Senior Care. SOMA Two Towns For All ages provides information and resources to seniors, protects seniors and empowers them to participate in the community. ‘Volunteer Fairs’ help seniors find purpose; while ‘Senior Tent at Events’ makes Maplewoodstock, 4th of July, Veteran’s Day, and a host of other public concerts, movies and occasions more accessible for seniors to attend with a shady spot, good company and a convenient comfy chair. By 2030 Maplewood may see more residents over 60 than under 18; together, the Maplewood Seniors Advisory Committee, SOMA Two Towns For All Ages and Maplewood Township are preparing to address shifting demographics and ultimately meet the evolving needs of seniors.
SOMA Two Towns of All Ages programs and services include:
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Current Members of the Maplewood Seniors Advisory Committee:
- Joan Crystal, Co-Chair
- Sydney Larrier, Co-Chair
- Judith Kramer, Secretary
- Claudine Baptiste
- Cathy McCoy Bristol
- Jeri Harmon
- Donna Plotnick
- Nettie Thomas
- Marilyn Schnarrs
- Laura Whitmire
- One position at-large
Ex-Officio (Nonvoting) Members of Maplewood Seniors Advisory Committee:
- Dean Dafis, Township Committee Liaison & Deputy Mayor
- Cathy Rowe, SOMA Two Towns For All Ages
- Carmen Morales, SOMA Two Towns For All Ages
- Melissa Mancuso, Community Services
- Michelle Wesley, Recreation
- Candice Davenport, Health Department
- Tahliah Jeffers, Health Department
- Cindy Mondino, Maplewood Memorial Library
The mission of the Maplewood Department of Community Services is to provide entertaining, safe and varied recreational programs and services to the township’s diverse population in a cost effective and progressive manner. Community Services strives to review, improve, and expand programs and services to keep pace with the changes and needs of the entire community.
The Maplewood Senior Advisory Committee helps the Senior Community by identifying and executing initiatives and programs at the local, county, and state levels to improve participation for Maplewood seniors within the township. The Committee pinpoints needs and works with the Maplewood Township Committee, Maplewood Township Departments and SOMA Two Towns For All Ages to bring solutions to best benefit senior residents.
The Mission of SOMA Two Towns For All Ages is to identify, develop and coordinate resources, policies, programs and services that support and empower all residents of Maplewood and South Orange to age in place as full members of the community.
