Help at H.O.M.E.
MEETING MINUTES
OCTOBER 23, 2008 ~ 3:00 PM
HOLDEN SENIOR CENTER
PRESENT: Brian Bullock, Town Manager; Jacquelyn Kelly, Assistant Town Manager; Karen Halley, Wachusett Food Pantry; Louise Charbonneau, Coordinator, Holden Council on Aging; Cheryl Owoc, Outreach, Holden Council on Aging; Donna Cross, HMLD; Joseph G. Sullivan, Holden Board of Selectmen; Chief Jack Chandler, Holden Fire Dept.; Susan Marsh; Rev. Rich Simpson, St. Francis Episcopal Church; Steve Yerdon, Devereux; Melissa McKeon, The Landmark; Maureen Buffone.
Town Manager Brian Bullock opened the meeting at 3:00 p.m.
Joe Sullivan made a motion to accept the minutes from the October 9, 2008 meeting, which was seconded by Jack Chandler and passed unanimously, with two (2) members abstaining.
Jacquie Kelly presented a preview of the flyer that will be going out in the November electric bills with the Help at H.O.M.E. information. Jacquie also distributed a re-draft of the donation envelope which will be inserted in the December electric bills. Jacquie would like feedback within the next week. The envelopes will go back to HMLD, in keeping with the same procedure as Welcome Aldrich. Louise will receive a copy of 9/10 forms listing the donors' names and amount of donation. Louise received a donation check from the First Baptish Church in the amount of $592.68.
Fundraising Reports/Updates - Karen Halley
Karen Halley reported that the flyers for Holden Martial Arts went out last week offering six (6) weeks of classes for $79.00, with 100% of the proceeds going to Help at H.O.M.E. Pastor Simpson suggested new language for the thank you letters.
Brian Bullock asked the committee to attend the Selectmen's meeting on November 3rd at Memorial Hall. Karen will do a presentation at 6:45 p.m. Joe suggested using Power Point so that people can see what is being discussed, at least the front page and table of contents. Sue will send a pdf to Brian before November 1st.
Treasurer/WARF Liaison Process Discussion
Jim Robinson submitted a preliminary "Roles and Responsibilities of Treasurer" draft for review of the board. With minor revisions, Joe made a motion to approve, which was seconded by Rev. Simpson and passed unanimously. Joe Sullivan asked if there's a need for an annual audit. The accounting department will email a monthly report to Jim Robinson.
Emergency Procedures
Brian contacted a local businessman concerning temporary shelter for citizens who had no heat. The gentleman expressed concerns relative to possible liability issues. Jack suggested using a motel in West Boylston for this purpose, but Brian would rather use that money to put oil in the tank. The Creamer property was considered but the open layout prohibits cordoning off the space utilized by the Recreation Department at that location. The Senior Center could hold at least 35 cots which the fire station has on hand. Also suggested was the room in the basement of HPD.
Booklet Printing
Cheryl passed around a booklet entitled "Disaster Preparedness for Seniors by Seniors" which was developed by the Greater Rochester Chapter of the American Red Cross. Cheryl ordered 250 of these booklets that are free of charge.
Churches Update/WFP Update
Most of the churches in town will donate their Christmas offering to Help at H.O.M.E. Joe suggested that we put together a bullet list to be used as a guide. Rich will work on this.
The food pantry serviced 146 families in October, which is the most ever in the history of the food pantry. The Rotary did a coat distribution at the same time. There is a food pantry collection box in the town hall. Brian suggested stepping it up by asking people coming to meetings to bring something in. The Friends of HCOA have asked for participants to their annual craft fair on November 1st to bring a non-perishable food item. Karen reported that the Food Pantry board met on Tuesday night, and it was decided that the food pantry volunteers can no longer be recipients of food and remain a volunteer. The recipients will need to decide to do one or the other.
Fire Safety Flyer/Energy Conservation Flyer for HMLD Billing
Jack has the flyer completed to go out in the October light bills. The Women's Club will have an insert in the November bill, along with the HMLD Newsletter with the Help at H.O.M.E. info on the back. The Help at H.O.M.E. envelope will be put into the December bills.
Printing Costs
Jack Chandler suggested Monty Tech as a possible source for printing the Help at H.O.M.E. booklets. Joe will contact them to see if this would be feasible, if we supply the paper. Joe will also contact American Printing to see what they may be able to offer. The possibility of putting sponsors' ads on the back cover for a $100.00 annual sponsorship was also discussed. Brian thought Steve Yerdon would have access to people through the Holden Chamber of Commerce who would want to help. Their next meeting is scheduled for November 9th.
Miscellaneous
Melissa McKeon from The Landmark will try to get a story out in this week's paper. Jack Chandler recommended doing a fundraising thermometer in the center of town, perhaps out in front of the senior center. He will work on this.
Meeting Schedule
The next meeting will be held on November 6th at 3:30 p.m. at the Holden Senior Center. The time change was suggested by Steve Yerdon.
Meeting adjourned at 4:15 p.m.
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