Coffee shop and name change among ideas floated to keep Ann Arbor Senior Center's doors open

Organizing fundraiser vacations, eliminating coffee expenses and even a complete name change were among ideas discussed by the Ann Arbor Senior Center task force Wednesday evening.

The city task force is charged with finding ways of making the Ann Arbor Senior Center more sustainable or finding alternatives for a number of seniors who use the center.

Earlier this year, it was proposed the Senior Center - which has a net cost of about $150,000 for the city Parks and Recreation Department to maintain - be closed due to city budget cutbacks.

Several task force members suggested better marketing, particularly making it more appealing to younger seniors, could better sustain the center.

Ideas like making making minor building improvements, eliminating an annual $2,000 coffee cost, opening up the possibility of a local coffee business to sell coffee from the center and offering wireless Internet access were discussed.

Organized travel has served as fundraisers at senior centers around the state and has been particularly successful at the Pittsfield Township Senior Center, said task force member and Senior Center Facility Supervisor Pamela Simmons.

The task force plans to look at other senior centers in the region to find ideas that have increased membership and revenue. It plans to hold a couple of public hearings this fall to get feedback on its ideas.

The task force meets at the Senior Center next on Sept. 2. The task force plans to report back to the Ann Arbor City Council by February.

A fundraiser called Picnic in the Park to benefit the center is planned for Saturday, August 22 between 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. at Burns Park. For more information, visit www.a2gov.org/senior or call 734-794-6250.