TO: Mayor and City Council
THROUGH: Krishna Namburi, City Manager
FROM: Gretchen Bennett, Community Services Director
SUBJECT:
title
Center 50+ Advisory Commission 2025 Annual Report
Ward(s): All Wards
Councilor(s): All Councilors
Neighborhood(s): All Neighborhoods
Result Area(s): Welcoming and Livable Community.
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SUMMARY:
summary
This report outlines the ongoing efforts and accomplishments of the Center 50+ in alignment with the Council-approved Strategic Operations Plan.
Strategic Operations Plan
Since 2007, the Center 50+ has been implementing a Council-approved Strategic Operations Plan, which serves as a guiding framework for the Center's initiatives. The Center 50+ Advisory Commission, along with staff and volunteers, continues to execute action plans, programmatic changes, and expand partnerships to support this plan. The strategic philosophies underpinning this plan include:
• Stability and Vitality
• Collaboration
• Cutting-edge Programming
• Senior Leadership
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ISSUE:
Presentation of the Center 50+ Advisory Commission 2025 Annual Report
RECOMMENDATION:
recommendation
Information only
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FACTS AND FINDINGS:
In 2025, Center 50+ continued to integrate the Age-Friendly Community Initiative into its strategic priorities. This work emphasizes creating a community where older adults can live, age, and thrive across their lifetime, with accessible programs, safe environments, and opportunities for social connection. The initiative’s principles-equity, inclusion, accessibility, and community engagement-were woven throughout program development, outreach, and partnerships.
Key accomplishments this year included:
• Expanding age-friendly programming that supports social participation, health promotion, and lifelong learning.
• Strengthening intergenerational and community partnerships, reinforcing Center 50+ as a connector and resource hub.
• Enhancing outreach efforts, including mobile services and community-based engagement, to reach older adults where they live.
• In partnership with Friends of Salem Senior Center Securing a $900,000 (renewable for 3 year) grant to “serve more seniors.”
Center 50+ remains committed to fostering a community where older adults are valued, supported, and empowered. As Salem continues to grow and evolve, the Center’s leadership, programs, and partnerships will remain essential in ensuring that every resident can age with dignity, purpose, and connection.
Background:
Since its founding in 1976, Center 50+ has served as a focal point for older adults in Salem, providing resources, programs, and support that promote healthy aging and lifelong engagement. Over the decades, the Center has grown into a recognized community leader, helping fulfill the City Council’s goal of creating a Welcoming and Livable Community for residents of all ages. The establishment of the Senior Center Advisory Commission in 1994, later renamed the Center 50+ Advisory Commission in 2016, strengthened this mission by ensuring older adults have a formal voice in shaping services and advocating for their needs.I
BACKGROUND:
The Senior Center Advisory Commission was established in 1994 to serve as an advisory body to the City Council on matters related to the Senior Center, addressing the concerns of the senior population (individuals aged fifty and older). In 2016, the Commission was renamed the Center 50+ Advisory Commission to reflect the facility's name change.
Since its inception in 1976, Center 50+ has been dedicated to supporting older adults and serving as a vital community resource. The Center is recognized as a leader in promoting accessible resources for the community, aligning with the City Council's goal of creating a Welcoming and Livable Community.
Marilyn Daily Blair
Manager, Center 50+
Attachments:
1. Attachment 1: Center 50+ 2025 Annual Report
2. Attachment 2: 2026-2027 Age Friendly Salem Action Plan
3. Attachment 3: Age Friendly Assessment 2018 Findings