Historically, lunches at the Patagonia Senior Center have been brought to town each day from a kitchen in Nogales supported by funds from the Santa Cruz Council on Aging, as part of a contract with the Southeastern Arizona Governments Organization (SEAGO). The lunches haven’t provided much in the way of fresh fruit or vegetables, and the menu repeats itself every six weeks.
Erika Miller, the Senior Center Program Director, says that maintaining this program with tasty, nutritious, and diverse offerings has become increasingly difficult as a result of funding shortages. Because of the menu, only two to five people would come through the door each noon. Miller and the board of directors, in an effort to change the situation, began to offer some home cooking to supplement what came from Nogales. They prepared salads and fresh fruit and put out a bowl of yogurt. The numbers began to go up. As of early April there were 10 to 25 seniors coming to eat the weekday lunches.
The center’s contract with the Council on Aging is currently up for renewal, and new contracts will begin to take effect on July 1. The Senior Center has bid to be its own provider. This means that most of the food served Monday through Friday would be prepared on site and would be appetizing and healthful. Miller says they are hoping to put together a file of 100 dietician-approved recipes to avoid too much repetition.
Miller worries about her seniors. She knows they need not only nutritious food but also a chance to socialize. Lunch is a wonderful opportunity to get together in a relaxed and comfortable situation. Food is always a good catalyst for conversation, the more the merrier. That seems to be what is happening nowadays as the food improves and the numbers grow. In addition to the weekday lunches, the center offers workout videos on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Also, on Monday afternoons anyone can drop in and play bridge, and on Wednesday and Friday afternoons there is ping-pong.
Miller sees the center’s biggest challenge as getting the word out. She hopes to reach more of Patagonia’s seniors and stresses that many of them need reminding as well as a ride. You are considered a senior if you are over 60, and people of any age with disabilities are also welcome. If you know someone who would benefit from the Senior Center’s lunch program, make a date and bring him or her along. The cost is on a sliding scale from $3 to $5, and, as Miller says, “We don’t look in the donation jar. If someone can’t pay, they shouldn’t let that keep them away.” If you are interested in helping out with the lunch program, Miller says they seem to have enough chefs but can always use volunteers to set the tables, clean up, and donate raw food (vegetables, meat, chicken, etc.). If you do want to assist in the cooking, please note that food preparers need a food handlers license and must be fingerprinted.