1 March 11, 2025
TO: City of Camarillo, City Council
RE: Camarillo Council on Aging, 2024 Annual Report
As requested per City Council Policy 1.09, the information below represents the Camarillo Council on Aging (CCOA) 2024 Annual Report. I have served as a Board Member since June 2023, followed by Board Secretary in October 2023 and Board Chair since August 2024.
VISION
The vision of CCOA is for every senior in the greater Camarillo area to age with optimal health, well-being, and dignity.
MISSION
The mission of CCOA, in collaboration with the Camarillo City Council is to promote participation, independence, and quality of life through advocacy, information, and activities that support optimum senior health and quality aging.
CCOA’s DISTRIBUTION OF RESOURCES ARE PROVIDED TO OLDER ADULTS 55+
According to the United States Census for the City of Camarillo, the total population estimate as of July 1, 2023 is 69,514 and the population over the age of 65 years is 14,737 or 21.2%. The demographic report from 2018 to 2022 shows 95.4% of households have a computer and 93.8% of households have a broadband internet subscription. The California Department of Aging reported on March 22, 2024, for all California Counties the total population for 60 Plus is 9,198,950 and Ventura County’s population for 60 Plus is 210,331.
2 GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
To fulfill its mission CCOA will pursue the following goals:
SUMMARY OF GOALS / OBJECTIVES - FISCAL YEAR 2024 - 2025 GOAL 1: Provide information to the 55+ Community that will increase their knowledge and awareness of available resources that support optimum health and quality aging. # Category and Narrative for Objective # of People
Served
Source of Funding
1 Senior News
Provide a high quality, online quarterly newsletter to ensure older adults have information on trending topics, events, community safety, wellness, and accessible City and County resources. Through community outreach continue to advance, promote and increase the number of quarterly subscribers to the Senior News. 2,100+ N/A
2 Camarillo Senior Resource Guide 2026 – 2028
Update the 2023 – 2025 Senior Resource Guide, which is a print copy, designed to provide easy access to local resources that benefit the 55+ Community. Through community outreach continue to advance, promote, and increase the distribution to residents and businesses.
5,000+ City of Camarillo &
CCOA Fundraising
from Annual Shred
Event
3 Camarillo Council on Aging Web Page
In collaboration with the City of Camarillo maintain CCOA’s web page to provide older adults access to resources, services, and programs available locally and county wide.
14,700+ N/A
GOAL 2: Plan, promote, and participate in activities the 55+ Community engage in. 1 50 Plus Expo
Participate in Pleasant Valley Recreation & Park District’s (PVRPD) annual health and wellness fair. Communicate who we are, the services we provide, and the resources available.
200+ CCOA Budget
2 Shred Event
Plan and develop annual Shred Event open to all City residents and businesses.
Proceeds from this program benefit the Camarillo Council on Aging to support the 55+Community needs. To ensure the overall success of this event, increase online and hard copy advertising. This event is held at PVRPD Community Center. 200+ CCOA Budget
3 3 Holiday Programs
Plan and coordinate outreach efforts with the Camarillo Health Care District, Nutrition Team, to deliver clients’ healthy and fun holiday gift bags. CCOA Board Members will ensure gift bags provide an opportunity to engage clients with information on CCOA’s Mission.
200+ CCOA Budget
GOAL 3. Engage in outreach with senior housing communities to identify 55+ community needs.
1 Camarillo Senior Housing
The City of Camarillo has several senior housing communities, including 55+ communities, mobile home parks, apartments and assisted living. Plan and collaborate with these communities and community partners to increase the reach and inform residents of programs and resources that support optimum senior health and quality aging.
200+ N/A
2 55+ Survey
Distribution of the survey at 50+ Expo, Senior Housing outreach programs and the Senior News.
200+ N/A
MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS 2024
Senior News, a quarterly online publication increased subscribers from 1,900 to over 2,300.
Camarillo Senior Resource Guide was distributed at several events where over 300 copies were given to older adult residents.
Mira Vista Village Senior Apartments Spring 2024 Health Fair, CCOA participated in this senior independent living community event, which provides housing to over 300 residents.
Leisure Village Meet and Greet on May 21, 2024, this program was in collaboration with City Council Member, Tony Trembley, former City Mayor who provided a City update and Joanne Kennedy, former CCOA Chair, now serving as Vice Chair, provided results of a survey conducted in 2023 and discussed important resources available in Camarillo and Ventura County. Over 40 in attendance.
Pleasant Valley Recreation and Park District’s 50+ Expo on September 28, 2024. CCOA’s outreach was very positive as Board Members were engaged in one-on-one discussions regarding senior services with over 100 senior residents. CCOA Shred Event on October 5, 2024, proceeds benefit our senior community and helps to provide needed resources and educational opportunities 4 for our 55+ community. This event was well supported by community volunteers unloading documents to be shred.
Holiday Gift Bags for Senior Meal Recipients. CCOA, Amber Light Lions Club and in collaboration with the Camarillo Health Care District’s Senior Nutrition Program, holiday gift bags were delivered to homebound seniors who receive weekly meals. Two hundred thirty (230) gift bags were assembled and delivered to Camarillo’s most frail and low-income older adults. With the assistance of our community partners and volunteers we were able to meet this vital need and bring joy to our community neighbors.
GUEST SPEAKERS
Mary Otten, General Manager, Pleasant Valley Recreation and Park District Roger Horne, Manager, Ventura County Area Agency on Aging
VENTURA COUNTY AREA AGENCY ON AGING LIAISONS
Two liaisons from the VCAAA Advisory Council attend monthly CCOA Board meetings, they are Carmen Reyes and Nancy Rowe. These individuals report on current VCAAA updates addressed at the County and State level. Carmen and Nancy are highly knowledgeable on the needs and programs for older adults. We are appreciative of their participation and input. In January, Nancy Rowe announced she will no longer be serving as VCAAA Liaison to CCOA. We will miss Nancy’s reporting, but next steps are underway to determine if her position will be filled. The VCAAA’s Advisory Council is a community-based body of advocates who share a mission to create and sustain programs that impact the lives of older adults, people with disabilities and family caregivers.
CHALLENGES
Camarillo’s Council on Aging was formed in 1978—47 years ago—to act as an advisory board whose purpose is to provide a mechanism for the senior community to make recommendations regarding matters of concern to the City Council, the Ventura County Area Agency on Aging and other appropriate organizations and agencies.
In 2024 CCOA’s community outreach transitioned from coordinating with community agencies on the delivery of informational meetings to providing greater online communication on the services and resources available to older adults. This was accomplished by the expansion of articles appearing in the Senior News, a quarterly newsletter published and posted on the City’s website, Residents / Senior page.
CCOA has its biggest challenge as access to human and financial resources to support community outreach. In the past, stronger budgets and community partnerships supported the development of onsite presentations, however, CCOA has experienced a financial decline over the past two years. The single source of public financial support has been the annual shred event. We are addressing the sustainability of this event as 5 there has been a significant decline in community participation. This is due in large part to the increased number of shredding fundraisers in the local area. The graph on page 5 represents the decrease in participation since 2022. The Board approved to move forward with the fall 2025 shredding program and re-evaluate its revenue outcome upon completion.
We will be addressing solutions to the current budget constraints, including ways to strengthen community agencies’ relationships, to allow for sharing of resources in order to resume CCOA’s onsite outreach. This will provide opportunities to understand the needs and concerns of our community’s older adults. We are also evaluating the Senior Resource Guide (SRG), a costly publication, which is updated and printed every 2- years. The Board will address the need to continue the SRG for the publishing period 2026 – 2028 or streamline costs by only providing an online SRG or do both, provide an online SRG and identify specific quantities for community agencies to distribute. The SRG in the past, included sponsor ads, this appeal will be included, upon determination of the 2026 / 2028 publication, and if confirmed, ads will help to cover costs for a portion of the development and print expense. Quotes for the updated SRG are in progress.
Once quotes are available, CCOA will present this information to the Camarillo City Council for consideration to help underwrite the cost. This is expected to be a 10% increase from the last publication.
GRAPH: 2022 – 2024 SHRED EVENT
2022 2023 2024
2022 -2024 ANNUAL REVENUE 3,200.00$ 1,748.00$ 2,266.00$ 2023 REVENUE DECREASE 1,452.00$
2023 REVENUE PERCENT DECREASE 45%
2024 REVENUE INCREASE $518
2024 REVENUE PERCENT INCREASE 30%
TRENDLINE IS DOWN FROM 2022
SHRED EVENT REVENUE SUMMARY
$3,200.00
$1,748.00
$2,266.00
45%
$-
$500.00
$1,000.00
$1,500.00
$2,000.00
$2,500.00
$3,000.00
$3,500.00
2022 2023 2024
30%
6 LOOKING TO THE FUTURE
CCOA has a very engaged and collaborative board working together to meet its 2024 / 2025 goals through its partnership with the City of Camarillo and community liaisons that include, VCAAA, Camarillo Health Care District, Pleasant Valley Recreation and Park District, other organizations and charitable groups—we look forward to continuing this important advocacy for our senior community.
THE CURRENT CCOA BOARD
The current dedicated board consists of:
Kathy Tamashiro, Chair, Joanne Kennedy, Vice Chair, Catherine Glueckert, Secretary Bruce Margolis, Treasurer, Greg Erickson, Sandra Melton and Steve Randall.
Respectfully submitted,
Kathy Tamashiro
CCOA Chair