February 11, 2025
10:30 a.m.
PKS Town Hall

Call to Order: Cindy Schersching

Agenda: Old/New Business

Annual Board Retreat: LAST CALL FOR ADDITIONAL IDEAS?

Thursday and Friday, February 13 (full day) and 14 (half day) at the Trinity Center Beach House. All are invited. If you would like lunch on the 13 let Missy Shine know: 252-247-4353 ext. 13.

Preparation

We will be reporting to the BOC and other agency heads:

• What we have accomplished/improved upon in 2024.
• What we plan/hope to accomplish in 2025.
• What we need to accomplish our 2025 goals.

Ongoing

We didn’t get time to adequately discuss the ideas below:

• Expand benefits to the community and status of new opportunities for the group to engage more people. Our list of recommended service people and medical professionals is unique and underutilized. Let’s focus on updating/adding to these lists in 2025, raising awareness they exist, and getting/publicizing feedback.
• A variation of the service people listing that could be useful is the establishment of a “Time Bank.” With this design participants offer a service to the community and the estimated time it takes to perform it; the service + time are banked and can be exchanged for a service they need, e.g., baking a pie might bank 1.5 hours which can be used toward 1.5 hours of power washing.
• There are software packages available to facilitate this – Kathy Driver will share her experiences.

New ideas mentioned for further discussion

• A book club; a ‘cook’s night out’; a progressive dinner.
• Broadening our participation in activities offered by St. Francis by the Sea? The Leon Mann Center?
• There are several in our community who are living alone. Should we have specific offerings that could benefit this group? Ideas?
• Is there interest in creating and maintaining a ‘Assistive Devices Closet’? This would require an inventory of medical devices – e.g., walkers, wheelchairs, etc. – created through donations. If there a resident has a need of a device, they can get one on loan from ‘the closet’.
• There may be cost implications to this offer.

In order to offer this service, at a minimum, we would need donations, a space to keep the devices, someone to pick up the donation, someone willing to clean up donated items, and a point person to call to confirm a device is available, arrange for pick up/delivery and keep track of devices loaned.

Kathy Driver agreed to be the Council’s representative on the Eastern Carolina Council (ECC). ECC is a multi-county, local government, planning and development organization serving local governments in 9 counties in our region through regional initiatives, projects, resources, and technical assistance.

Minutes

Time Banking

Time Banking was suggested as an adjunct to our list of services provided or as a stand-alone separate community program. Kathy Driver explained how time banking typically works:

Everyone’s time is valued equally; the program is an exchange of abilities, not money, i.e., one hour. of service is earned and is equal to any other hour of service. Labor-time units can be credited to a person’s account in the time bank and redeemed for services from other members of the time bank. Typically, the most often traded services are simple, low market-value tasks, such as the care of the elderly, social work, and home repair; the time bank puts a value on retired activities.

A trademarked software package is available to run the program, however, the program needs a coordinator to run the software, and possibly an oversight committee.

With a minimum of three people, time banks can be linked. The time bank links can be made across any distance, e.g. NC and FL.

Assistive Devices/medical devices closet

Establishment of an Assistive Devices/medical devices closet was also under discussion.

The idea behind this initiative is to collect physician-issued mobility equipment that is no longer needed by the patient (e.g., wheel chairs, crutches, boots, canes, etc.) and make these items freely available to others in need.

There are several challenges to establishing a program like this, including, but not limited to:

• Finding storage: We will need to find a dedicated space.
• A dedicated coordinator who will maintain an inventory of items coming in and going out.
• A sanitation process for all equipment received and stored.
• Dedicated individuals to pick up and deliver on requests.
• Assurances that any equipment loaned out is in top, working condition. Failure to do this would make us liable for any issues that could be associated with imperfect equipment. PKS EMS could provide guidance on how to we could proceed.

Alternatively, if an Assistive Devices closet is currently operating on the island, we could offer our support. It would be worthwhile checking with local churches and the Leon Mann Center to identify sources and explore interests in working together.

Other group socializing ideas

• Organizing a ‘cook’s night out’ or a progressive dinner.
• Should we have specific offerings that could benefit those who are living alone? Ideas?
• Bring a friend to meetings, forums, PARC activities.
• Promote ‘socials’ at local locations.

Next meeting

Our next meeting is Tuesday, March 11, 2025 at 10:30 a.m. in the Betty Carr Room, A.C. Town Municipal Building.