Gardner Senior Center reports record volunteer hours and a successful Thanksgiving drive

Speaker 2 presented an overview of FY25 programs and volunteer activity and highlighted a substantial increase in service volume. Staff reported 751 volunteers contributing roughly 23,000 hours across ~3,290 program activities and events, with 17 paid contractors contributing about 915 hours. Speaker 2 said total FY25 revenue, including city appropriations, grants and program fees, was $334,378 and that donated goods and services were valued at nearly $301,000.

On Thanksgiving operations, Speaker 2 described closing Park Street from Central to Cottage to stage a drive-through meal service and said the center served "over 350" meals; staff estimated dining-room attendance of about 45–50 the same day. Speaker 2 credited local partners (named in the transcript) including the Elk's Club, Woods shuttles, the Garden Police Department (named in the transcript) and DPW for signage and traffic control support.

Board members discussed program logistics: parking constraints were raised as a possible barrier to in-person dining; the outreach coordinator role was described as five part-time people sharing duties equal to one full-time position; and the center listed upcoming holiday events including a holiday party and a December drive-to meal.

A public commenter (Speaker 5) described volunteering at the drive-through as "heartwarming" and encouraged continuation of that format despite weather challenges.

The board did not take further formal action on program expansions during this meeting; staff will continue operational planning and outreach to increase in‑person participation at meals.