>>Click HERE to Link to BCBS Health Times for Additional Info>>
The Peabody Council on Aging (PCOA) is thrilled to be featured in the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Healthy Times News and Information for its members. The coverage shines a spotlight on the Torigian Senior Center, celebrated in the publication’s healthy community section. This recognition underscores the center's commitment to fostering a welcoming and inclusive environment for all seniors. The PCOA continues to be a vital resource in promoting health and wellness among older adults, providing a variety of programs and services that enhance the quality of life for its members. This feature not only highlights their efforts but also encourages the community to engage with the services offered by the Torigian Senior Center.
>>Click HERE to Link to the Item Live for Additional Info>>
PEABODY — Inside Jubilee Hall on Wednesday, former Peabody Fire Chief Joe Mendonca spoke with conviction as he shared his concerns regarding scammers and fraud.
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Peabody to ban Bitcoin ATMs after
residents scammed
·
By Caroline Enos | Staff Writer
·
Oct 25, 2025
PEABODY — An ordinance
before the City Council would ban Bitcoin machines in the city after Peabody
residents have lost well over $100,000 in scams involving these machines.
Councilors voted
unanimously Thursday night to draft and advertise the ordinance change banning
all machines that sell virtual currency including but not limited to Bitcoin.
They are expected to
adopt the ordinance in a later final vote.
Peabody would become the third city in the state to implement this ban. Gloucester and Waltham both approved similar bans last month through ordinances Peabody used to model its own.
“What we’ve seen is
the most vulnerable folks in our society have been targeted, particularly the
elderly people who are very vulnerable to being afraid and wanting to make sure
they’re following rules,” Essex County District Attorney Paul Tucker said at
the council’s Legal Affairs subcommittee meeting Thursday night.
Scammers often pose as
federal agents with the FBI or Homeland Security. Sometimes they create fake
romances with victims over weeks or months, or install viruses on their
computers that lead to a victim speaking with a scammer pretending to be a tech
support agent.
In an incident
recently investigated by the Essex County DA’s office, a scammer convinced a
victim that they would be ensnared in a pedophilia ring if they didn’t send
money through Bitcoin machines, Tucker said.
The perpetrators
convince victims to go to their banks and withdraw large sums of cash, often
staying on the phone to coach them on what to say when bank tellers question
why they are taking out so much money.
Victims then go to
deposit the cash into these virtual currency machines, which resemble coin
machines and ATMs. They deposit their money into them to typically buy Bitcoin,
a virtual currency that has gained popularity over the last decade, and send it
to the scammers.
But most of the time
these machines are being used, it’s by victims who have been convinced to send
Bitcoin to scammers, Peabody Police Detective David Bettencourt told the City
Council on Thursday.
“Usually, the only money
in these machines are the victims’ funds,” Bettencourt said. “If any of us are
gonna buy Bitcoin, we’re gonna call a bank and buy Bitcoin. We’re not gonna
walk into 7-Eleven and put money into a machine.”
Once that money is in the machine, victims almost never get that money back — even after the police are involved, he said.
More than $11 million
has been reported stolen in Essex County through these scams this year alone.
That’s probably only a third of what has actually been stolen since January,
Tucker said.
One Essex County
couple who are in their mid-80s recently lost more than $100,000 — the
remainder of their life savings — through a scam involving a Bitcoin machine,
Tucker said. A woman in Peabody lost $42,000 over several weeks in July.
A Salem woman who has
a law degree and worked for the state for 30 years also fell victim to the
scam. She used a Bitcoin machine on Canal Street to send scammers $13,000, then
bought $1,000 worth of gift cards at Target at the their request so they could
redeem their value, another common scam.
“When somebody tells
you that they can’t believe that they’ve been scammed, believe them, because
everybody we talked to said, ‘I can’t believe that this happened to me,’”
Tucker said.
Legislators on Beacon
Hill are working on bills to ban these machines or at least limit how much
users can deposit in a single day. But due to pushback from the Bitcoin
industry, it will be a while before laws like this go on the books, Tucker
said.
Bitcoin machine
companies, particularly Bitcoin Depot, largely have not cooperated with Peabody
detectives who investigate these scams. One went so far as to threaten to
report a Peabody detective to the POST Commission for taking a machine out of
service after it was used in a scam, Bettencourt said.
These companies argue
that because they aren’t the scammers, they shouldn’t lose out on the money
deposited into their machines, he said.
There are 16 Bitcoin machines currently in the city. Users are often charged between 30% and 50% in fees, compared to cryptocurrency apps that typically keep these fees between 1% and 3%.
A study conducted by
the Iowa Attorney General’s office found between 94% and 98% of all deposits
made on these machines in that state were sent to scammers coercing victims.
Because they are used
in scams so frequently, Bitcoin machine companies have at times included
language in contracts preventing the businesses who house the machines from
speaking with police in scam investigations.
“To my mind, that
shows actual knowledge that these are being used for fraud, if they’re actually
encouraging store owners not to interfere,” said Scott Dullea, chief legal
counsel for the Essex County DA’s office.
Businesses housing
these machines are financially incentivized to not report these scams because
that could stop payments to them, Dullea said.
City councilors shared
support for banning the machines during Thursday’s discussion.
“This is disgusting,
and this is all educational to me, and I’m in law enforcement,” Councilor
at-Large Anne Manning-Martin said. “We certainly need to get this out to
everybody.”
Nothing will stop
scammers from sending victims to machines in neighboring communities where they
remain legal, Ward 2 Councilor Pete McGinn said.
That’s why the DA’s office is working with other Essex County communities, including Salem and Beverly, to adopt ordinances like what’s being considered in Peabody, Dullea said.
“This calls out for a
bigger solution, a statewide solution, and that’s currently being undertaken.
Obviously, that takes a lot of time,” Dullea said. “We’ve decided that this is
probably the best stop gap to take right now to protect local residents.”
Contact Caroline Enos
at CEnos@northofboston.com .
PEABODY — U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton visited the Peabody Council on Aging on Tuesday to meet with seniors from across the region to discuss how loneliness and social isolation impact their lives.
His goal is to talk with seniors and hear how, as a policy maker, he can address the “epidemic of loneliness in our communities,” Moulton said.
He cited statistics to help convey the dangers of loneliness and prove the mass amount of seniors who are faced with loneliness across the nation.
Moulton offered the floor to the seniors who attended the discussion and sought their advice.
Joe Colella, a Salem resident, shared the importance of promoting spaces, such as the Peabody Council on Aging, for senior citizens to gather and interact with one another.
He also recommended the need to provide services for homeless veterans.
Moulton asked Colella if he finds it most helpful to interact with people his own age at the Council on Aging, or interacting with the staff, who are younger.
The combination of activities with both peers and staff is what works, Colella said.
Peabody Mayor Ted Bettencourt said the community is always searching for new ways to improve the Council on Aging and make it more accessible and affordable to residents.
Moulton and the attendees shared ideas on how to promote social life for senior citizens and make the Council on Aging, and other spaces like it, affordable and welcoming.
>>Click HERE to Link to Item Live for Additional Info>>
North Shore news powered by The Daily Item
The
Peter A. Torigian Senior Center in Peabody hosts a St. Patrick's Day party on
Wednesday. (Spenser Hasak) Purchase this photo
Peabody
senior center celebrates St. Patrick’s Day
Richelle Melad
March
13, 2024 by Richelle Melad
FacebookLinkedInXEmailCopy Link
PEABODY
— The Peter A. Torigian Senior Center was all decked out in green and shamrocks
as seniors from the city and surrounding communities celebrated St. Patrick’s
Day.
Around
200 people registered for the center’s party. The event was mostly run by
volunteers who worked the registration desks, walked around the venue ready to
assist, and signed people up for multiple raffles. Volunteer Bill Drinan,
dressed up as St. Patrick, walked around to take photos with people.
“We
wouldn’t be able to do what we do without the volunteers,” Peabody Council on
Aging Director Carolyn Wynn said.
“Everyone
is just all hands on deck, all the time,” Council Board member John Sacramone
said.
The
Friends of the Peabody Council on Aging partially funded the event. Guests paid
$15 to attend and were treated to a traditional St. Patrick’s Day lunch of
corned beef, boiled potatoes, cabbage, turnips, Irish bread, and pistachio cake
prepared by the center’s kitchen staff.
DJ Alan
Labella was the star entertainer, encouraging those in attendance to form a
line dance and sing along to classic songs like “Sweet Caroline.”
Susan
Lowry, a Peabody resident and a regular at the Senior Center, commended the
event’s volunteers for getting everyone to participate.
“They
do such a good job,” Lowry said. “Everyone is friendly and happy, Alan Labella
puts on a great show, and people in their 90s still come. There are a lot of
lonely seniors, they need to know about the Senior Center.”
Administrative
Assistant Carol McMahon also emphasized the importance of making sure there are
many activities available for seniors in the city.
“Almost
37% of the Peabody population are over 60,” McMahon said.
McMahon
said that even though there were twice as many people at the annual parties
before the COVID-19 pandemic, many seniors still look forward to the
event.
“They look really happy,” McMahon said.
>>Click HERE to Link to the Peabody Weekly News Item Live for Additional Info>>
>>Click HERE for Larger Image or Printable Version of A New Year's message from the Senior Center>>
A New Year’s message from the Senior Center
Carolyn Wynn
For The Weekly News
The start
of a new year is not only a great time to think of all the possibilities that
lie ahead, but it also gives us the opportunity to reflect on the year that has
passed. In this New Year’s message, I thought it would be a great time to share
some statistics regarding the many services we have provided throughout 2023.
As many of
you know, the Peabody Council on Aging is primarily a social services agency.
For over 50 years, we have based many of our core services on the Older
Americans Act of 1965. The tenants outlined in that legislation include
Transportation, Social Services, and Nutrition. Our transportation service, “Project
Mobility,” is for Peabody residents only. We provide transportation to medical
appointments, shopping, and the PCOA to attend programs, receive services, and
share lunch with friends. We also provide many miscellaneous trips as well.
Project
Mobility provided 31,961 trips this year. Of those trips, 6,197 required using
our wheelchair lift, making our services more accessible to all.
Our social
services are also available to Peabody residents only. We often receive
requests for social services from nonPeabody residents, but we must be
steadfast in this rule, as a significant portion of our city is over 60. We
would like to be able to help everyone, but unfortunately, that is not
possible. However, we are happy to provide contact information for non-residents
to receive necessary assistance. Our social services team assists with many
services, such as health insurance (particularly during open enrollment), Mass
Health, fuel assistance, SNAP program, I & R, housing applications, and the
commodity food program. This year, we provided 16,378 units of service.
Our
licensed Adult Day Health program is the only one in the state to be operated
by a senior center, going beyond the scope of a supportive day program through
the support of our clients. The ADH program has extremely caring staff
providing needed services. Our program has allowed caregivers more time
together with their loved ones - often delaying placement in nursing homes and
many times avoiding placement altogether. The ADH program also gives clients’ families
a respite to take care of themselves. Caregiving is one of those things that
truly cannot be completely understood until you are experiencing it.
It is
always enjoyable to share a meal with friends. Our senior center operates an
independent lunch program, and all are welcome! A wonderful addition to this
nutrition program is the recently opened Friends Café, which serves older
adults from many communities. Our lunch program is one of the biggest social
programs that we have. This year, we served 31,770 meals.
I was
fortunate to be present 32 years ago when Mayor Peter Torigian cut the ribbon
to open our new senior center. His words still ring true, that all who can get
to our center will be welcome — something that has been our policy and our
strength from the beginning.
From that
day, we have always been a welcoming place to older adults from Peabody and
many surrounding communities, just as Peabody residents are welcomed in other
local senior centers. In fact, many of our volunteers are from other communities
but choose to volunteer their time and talents here at our center.
Aside from
our core services, we have a myriad of classes and activities to keep older
adults engaged and living independently in the community. There are so many
positive health benefits from participating in social activities. I know many
are looking for that “miracle cure” to stay young and mentally fit, but the one
tried and true solution is to stay active and socially engaged. There is no
better place for this than the Torigian Senior Center, as is evidenced by
12,486 people signed in for fitness and exercise programs, 19,802 activity and
class attendees, and 3,456 tickets sold for our special events.
Currently,
every available space in the center is being used. We realize that the new
generation of retirees who have started to join us are looking for more
exercise programs, and we hope to provide that. We are presently in the process
of completing our outside recreation area that will house modern pickleball and
bocce courts. This addition has transformed an unused area that will become a
place of incredible activity! We want to thank the CPA for funding this
project.
In the
near future, we hope to start a capital campaign to expand our senior center,
which will add more space for fitness programs. In the meantime, we are trying
to add afternoon exercise classes to accommodate this growing need. Remember,
we have a beautiful indoor fitness room that is staffed by helpful volunteers,
and it is free to use. Even with all that is offered here, we are always open
to suggestions for new classes and activities, so please share your ideas with
us!
I hope to
see you at our center! Fondly, Carolyn
Peabody Council on Agings's staff,
from left, Judy Walker, Laurie Nadeau, and Carol McMahon dress in server
outfits during a luncheon to celebrate the opening of the new 'Friends Cafe'.
(Libby O'Neill) Purchase this photo
At the
Peabody Senior Center, that’s what Friends are for
Anne Marie
Tobin
February
10, 2023 by Anne
Marie Tobin
As if the
Peter A. Torigian Center wasn’t already doing plenty for Peabody’s seniors, the
Council on Aging has taken it up a notch with a beautiful, trendy,
state-of-the-art café.
President
of the Friends of the Peabody Council on Aging Mike Zellen proudly kicked off
the grand opening of the ‘Friends’ Café’ with a ceremonial ribbon cutting on
Feb. 8. Zellen was joined by Friends board members, Director Carolyn Wynn,
members of her staff and numerous volunteers.
On
Thursday, a large group of elected and city officials and dignitaries got their
first taste at a special luncheon.
“This is a
wonderful addition to our Senior Center,” said Mayor Edward A. Bettencourt, Jr.
“I am thrilled that we were able to provide this beautiful location for our
seniors to eat, talk and enjoy one another’s company. A giant ‘thank you’ to
our Friends committee and the amazing staff at the Senior Center.”
Formerly
the café and gift shop, the new café comfortably seats 24 patrons, offering
table and chair height counter seating. The atmosphere is warm and ambient, yet
sunny and cheery.
Administrative
Assistant Carol McMahon said the café is “the brainchild” of Director Carolyn
Wynn.
“For years
she has always dreamed of making that space into an inviting and beautiful
restaurant offering seniors a more ambient dining experience with additional
menu options,” McMahon said.
The new
menu will feature familiar favorites, but will also offer healthy, nutritious
items including a variety of sandwiches, soups, salads and hot entrees.
“The menu
will have more than just things like meatloaf and gravy as our seniors are
getting younger and they want to have healthy options. It’s just not like it
used to be as more seniors are taking early retirement,” said Wynn. “Plus, most
senior centers require that you have to order food in advance, but we cook to
order, so this is a great option for our seniors and will really expand what we
are able to offer.”
The
project began taking shape in February 2022 when Wynn approached McMahon and
asked her if she would like to design this new space. McMahon enlisted the
maintenance team of Mike Callahan and Tommy Santos, who she described as
“unstoppable.”
“With much
collaboration and certainly a team effort, we couldn’t be more pleased with the
end result,” McMahon said. “If you are looking for a different dining
experience other than our popular dining hall, this is it!”
State Rep.
Thomas Walsh (D-Peabody) credited the Council on Aging for working together to
come up with such a novel idea.
“The
creative efforts of the Senior Center staff with the support of the Council on
Aging has provided a new comfortable space for seniors to gather and spend time
with each other,” Walsh said. “The cafe creates another vibrant setting for all
to enjoy.”
All
lunches are $6 cash only, including choice of beverage, with dessert being an
additional $2. Flavored coffees and unique lunches will be served daily. “To
Go” options are available also and pagers will be given to those who have to
wait for a table. The café is open for lunch between 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. for
meal service and closes at 2. “To Go” lunches must be ordered between
11:15-11:30.a.m.
Ward 4
Councilor Julie Daigle said she looked forward to the event all morning.
“It was a
nice event and it was so worth the wait,” Daigle said. “They treated us like
celebrities. Every time you turned around they had staff waiting to help you
and it really felt like a small version of a country club the way it faces the
field, didn’t realize the cafe overlooks the field. In a way it’s like a small
version of a country club,” said Ward 4 Councilor Julie Daigle. “It was
fantastic to see they are providing a service that is so needed.”
“The
vision and creativity that Carolyn and her staff has amazes me,” said Ward 3
Councilor Stephanie Peach.
“The café
is another feather in the cap for the best senior center in the state,” said
Councilor-at-Large Tom Gould.
“The
Senior Center and the staff does incredible work to increase senior’s quality
of life, not just in Peabody, but throughout the North Shore,” said
Councilor-at-Large Ryan Melville. “They did a great job. It’s impressive and
the food was excellent.”
Wynn said
the café is just another effort on the part of the council to address the
needs of seniors, which are getting more and more diverse.
“Not only
do we have more active seniors who are using our services, but we are also
seeing younger seniors who want to volunteer,” Wynn said. “We now see several
different generations across the board with diverse interests. So the goal is
to always keep as many options as possible with many different selections. It’s
just not one size fits all anymore.”
McMahon
said the cafe will offer outside dining on the outdoor patio when weather
permits starting in the spring, providing additional seating under the awnings.
McMahon said breakfast will likely be offered in the near future. The cafe will
officially open to the public at the end of the month.
