The Patagonia senior center has a new cook. Roxann Valenzuela “provides us with nutritious, recipe-inspired main dishes five days a week,” said spokesman Chuck Kelly. “Our salad bar offers nine different ingredients each day and is kept well supplied,” he said, adding they are often organic as well.
In 2019, the congregate meals program served 8100 meals with a total registration count of 175 people, said Kelly. “We earnestly believe that our congregate meal program, with its nutritious hot meals and well supplied salad bar, is second to none in the entire country.”
In other news, the Annual Meeting of Senior Citizens of Patagonia, Inc. is set for 2 p.m. Monday, January 13 at the senior center.
In 2019, the transportation program tallied 36,000 miles, taking 500 clients to medical appointments and shopping. Drivers contributed 1700 volunteer hours.
The center received grants in 2019 which allowed for the purchase of a commercial refrigerator and freezer, a new office computer, electric generator, new evaporative cooler, emergency food supplies and new overhead lighting. The chef program was financed and the dental program was implemented to help pay for local seniors’ dental needs.