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LTC 239-2008 Assistance to Elderly Residents on Securing Extra Income Through PT Jobsm ~IAMIBEACH OFFICE OF THE CITY MANAGER NO. LTC # 239-2008 LETTER TO COMMISSION TO: Mayor Matti Herrera Bower and Members of the City Commission FROM: Jorge M. Gonzalez, City Manager DATE: September 17, 2008 SUBJECT: Assistance to Elderly Residents on Securing Extra Income Through Part-time Jobs This Letter to Commission is intended to provide you with a copy of the memorandum prepared for the Neighborhoods/Community Affairs Committee in response to a request for information on opportunities to assist local seniors with securing extra income through part time employment. This memorandum was presented at Committee but was not discussed. As always, please feel free to call me should you have any questions or require additional information. JMG/hmf ~ 111 Alit! A City of Miami Beach, 1700 Convention Center Drive, Miami Beach, Florida 33139, www.mi°mibeachfl.gov COMMITTEE MEMORANDUM TO: Hon. Chair and Members, Neighborhoods/Community Affairs Committee FROM: Jorge M. Gonzales City Manager . DATE: July 2, 2008 sUi3~ECT: Assistance to elderly residents on securing extra income through part time jobs The following information is provided in response to the referral of this item to Committee. At present, the City provides programs/services to seniors via several departments. • Attachment A reflects programs currently provided by our Parks and Recreation Department. • Attachment B reflects services provided through our Community Services Division. The City is not a direct service provider but, rather, serves as a conduit to assist seniors in accessing services when they reach out to the City for assistance • Attachment C reflects programs funded through our Housing and Community Development Division that benefit elderly persons GENERAL INFORMATION According to the Alliance for Aging, Miami Beach is home to 22,960 people aged 60 or older. These residents are concentrated in South Beach and North Beach. In addition to the City programs, services are also provided by other local, non-profit agencies. These include: Douglas Gardens/MJHHA; Jewish Community Services; Ayuda, Inc.; Little Havana Activity and Nutrition Center; and Mount Sinai House Call Program. These agencies provide a spectrum of services from home-based care (i.e. homemaker services, delivered meals, companionship, etc.) to community- based services (i.e. adult day care, congregate meals, etc.). ASSISTANCE WITH EMPLOYMENT OPPORUTNITIES With regards to the item for discussion relating to how the City can assist elderly persons in obtaining extra income through part time jobs, please be advised that two programs receive funding through our Community Development Block Grant program to provide similar assistance. These projects are funded out of the public service category for this grant program, which is limited by the federal government to 15% of our total allocation received. 1) UNIDAD of Miami Beach: this agency receives CDBG funds from the City of Miami Beach for the Project Link program; they employ 18 senior citizens between ages of 55 to 80 to work full-time in their office. Project Link also receives other government grant(s) to provide approximately40 part-time positions (20 hours per week) for seniors 55 years and up earning minimum wage to work for non-profit organizations or government agencies. Starting July 2008, the positions are increased to 105 and approximately 30 to 40 percent of the employees will be Miami Beach residents. UNIDAD agreed to find placement for these workers and also create tasks and supervise them. Page 2 of 2 Assistance to Elderly 2) Little Havana Activities and Nutrition Centers of Dade County this agency receives CDBG funds from the City of Mami Beach for their Rainbow Intergenerational Child Care Center. This program employs 16 senior citizens working parttime (20 hours per week) and earning slightly over minimum wage to teach at the day care The program also provides the cost of certifyirg these seniors as required for day care workers CONCLUSION The City's commitment to supporting our seniors encompasses the programs and services reflected above and on the attached, as well as our support of non-profit organizations that are best suited to provide direct services. An example of this partnership includes the development of the senior center in North Beach by Unidad, with substantial support by the City. Seniors are currently being offered employment assistance through our grant-funded programs. Any additional opportunities to increase the number of persons served through this type of program would have to be further explored with those agencies, andwould be subject to funding availability. Attachments JMG/hmf Attachment A City of Miami Beach Parks & Recreation Seniors Programs Status Bus Transportation In F.Y. 06/07 the City Commission allocated $150,000 to the Parks & Recreation Department to provide contracted bus transportation to seniors' organizations, services providers etc., to take them on field trips, outings and special events. The Parks & Recreation Department sent out invitations to all eligible local seniors' services providers notifying them of the services and encouraging them to take advantage of the offer. The fist trip was on May 10, 2007, and since then, a total of 22 bus trips have been provided for our seniors to various recreational and social events and outings Programs 8 Services • 200 seniors are currently enrolled in North Shore Park Youth Center Seniors Scenes Program. Seniors enrolled in programming at NSPYC have participated in a variety of activities to include: Tai Chi, Ceramics, ESOL, Line Dancing, Coffee Talk, Bingo, Stepping Out, Fine Arts and Painting, Drawing, etc. See attached April Weekly Programming Calendar for activities schedule. • Outreach for the "Recreation on the Move" Tai Chi program at Rebecca Towers began on April 9~h. To date, 25 seniors are enrolled; last class ended for the summer on May 21S' • Transportation for seniors from Rebecca Towers to the water aerobics class at Flamingo Park began on 5/14/08. Eight active seniors participated; classes end for the summer on 5/28/08, • Exploring future "Recreation on the Move" classes at Rebecca Towers and the other senior centers, dependent on funding, to include: Tai Chi, Chair Aerobics, and Ceramics. • Outreach conducted to senior congregate living centers inviting them to come to NSPYC to see the programs offered and to sign-up any of their residents, as we would be providing transportation. Calendar of events also emailed. • Coordinated a trip to the PAC through Mayor Bower's office using the SETS for 30 seniors from our Senior Scenes at NS and 30 seniors from Rebecca Towers on May 3 and 4. • Implemented an inter-generational type program with the seniors enrolled in programming at North Short. About five seniors helped the children enrolled in the after school program with props and costumes for: Hispanic Heritage, Autumn Fun Fair, Winter Wonderland and the Spring Eggstravaganza. Exploring furtherdeveloping this program in the coming yearto have the seniors become more involved in tutoring, mentoring, etc. Participation Levels • Registered Senior Scenes 06 - 07 - 119 participants • Registered Senior Scenes 07 -08 - (may reflect participants that carry over from quarter to quarter) Fail 124, Winter 144, Spring 202 • Senior Painting - 23 participants (Offered by Miami Dac>r Adult Education Program) • Adult ESOL - 62 (Offered by Miami Dade Adult Education Program) • ~ Adult Yoga - 11 (Offered by Miami Dade Adult Education Program) • Senior Ceramics - 15 participants • Senior Computers - 4 participants • Senior Dance - 25 participants . Senior Fitness /Gym - 69 participants • Senior Bingo - 34 participants • Senior Coffee Talk - 5 participants • Senior Tai Chi - 29 participants • Senior Chair Aerobics - 135 participants • Senior Outreach Program Rebecca Tower - 25 Attachment B City of Miami Beach Community Services Seniors Services Status The Office of Community Services, currently a division of the Neighborhood Services Department, provides assistance to seniors who request assistance from the City. The Division primarily serves in a "information and referral" capacity, but does provide certain direct services. As reported by the Division, seniors tend to come to their office for the following reasons, and are provided with the following assistance: 1) Economic hardship (fixed incomes not keeping pace with living costs). We provide food cards and refer for additional community-based supports. 2) Assistance with their case plans or service providers (usually Social Security Administration and Food Stamps). Most of these cases are cleared when opened as we call the provider and serve as an intermediary to address the problem. 3) .Independent living. Either they need home-based services to stay living on their own or they are facing guardianship hearings. These cases are usually referred to either Alliance for Aging for provider assignment or Legal Services of Greater Miami for legal representation. Referrals to the Miami Beach Housing Authority and to the Miami Beach Community Development Corporation are also made when housing assistance is being requested. The following reflects a breakdown of the Division's service levels (excluding homeless) by category for this fiscal year: Referral Cases Opened (represents unduplicated people served, some may have had more than one referral) - 80 Food Cards Issued - 98 Hotel Placement-4 SHARE Food Program - 75 (9.37 morithly average typically allelderly) Attachment C City of Miami Beach Housing and Community Services Senior Program Funding Status The Housing and Community Development Division, currently part of the Neighborhood Services Department, is responsible for allocating federal and state entitlement (formula) grants that provide services, improve infrastructure and develop affordable housing. These are the Community Development Block Grant Program (CDBG); the Home Partnership Investment Program (HOME); and the State Housing Initiatives Partnership program. The HOME and SHIP program primarily fund affordable housing development. Funding has been allocated to MBCDC for projects that target elderly residents. A recent of funding allocated for senior housing includes funding for Villa Maria, Villa Matti and for Meridian Place. MBCDC is developing their financing model for the three projects purchased with RDA funds; some units in those buildings are also expected to target seniors. The CDBG program funds capital (housing and infrastructure) and public service. Public Service funds are capped by the federal government at no more than 15% of the total allocation provided to the City. Within the public service category, the City funds the following agencies that provides services to seniors: • UNIDAD of Miami Beach- Project Link- Referral Services (employs 18 seniors)- $12,000 • American Veteran Nevvs-Food Assistance - to elderly and other populations- $5,000 • Jewish Community Services -Miami Beach Senior Center- Adult Day Care - $12,000 • Jewish Community Services- Senior Meals on Wheels- Meals delivered and shopping services for essential items- $18,000 • Little Havana Activities and Nutrition Centers of Dade County- Elderly Meals Program- Serves meals at 3 senior centers- $40,000 • Little Havana Activities and Nutrition Centers of Dade County- Rainbow Intergenerational Child Care -Employs 17 elderly citizens- $$40,000 Additionally, CDBG capital funding has been provided to the Miami Beach Housing Authority for infrastructure improvements to their senior public housing building(s) (e.g. elevator replacement at Rebecca Towers), for improvements to JCS' and Little Havana's seniors meals facilities, and MBCDC projects serving the elderly.