Hot Meals For Seniors

Hot lunches are served Monday through Friday at dining sites and to homebound individuals. In 2008, three new dining sites were added in the Northwest Ohio area where older adults can get a hot lunch. One of these nutrition sites is the Pilgrim Port housing complex, which has a large, bright, and cheery dining room. Pilgrim Port is reaching out to seniors in the surrounding neighborhood who live in their own homes and to the several apartment complexes in the area. The other two dining sites are located in Wood County, in the villages of Pemberville and Wayne. Participants at these sites can enjoy socializing with their surrounding neighbors when they join them for the meals which will help the program grow and contribute to its continuation and ultimate success.

While the meal program options vary from location to location, highlighting the Wood County Committee on Aging's meal program shows many of the options that are available.

Older adults in Wood County receive a choice of two entrees, along with a special diabetic dessert for those clients needing such options. The menus contain a choice of entrée with one being a red meat option and the other a fish, chicken, or vegetarian option. The diabetic dessert is always similar to the regular dessert, without the added sugar and carbohydrates.

Monthly menu choice sheets go out to their approximately 350 home delivered meal clients a few weeks before the month begins. The home-delivered meal clients send them back with their choices circled. This helps in determining the amount of food that will be prepared and sent to each of the seven dining sites throughout Wood County.

With the help of the State of Ohio Capital Budget, Wood County Commissioners, and private and corporate donors, in January, 2007, the newly constructed Wood County Committee on Aging Production Kitchen was opened. This 5,400 square foot kitchen, designed especially for their needs, allowed the WCCOA to continue to effectively serve about 750 meals per day to the seniors of Wood County. The impact of the meal program is huge, with 65,000 dining site meals served and 103,000 home delivered meals served throughout Wood County in 2008. Meals are available beyond just weekday lunches.

WCCOA serves evening meals at the Bowling Green Site on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. These meals provide a little more upscale option, without the entrée choice. For instance, the meal may consist of Western ribs, real mashed potatoes, fresh green beans, etc. The Wood County Committee on Aging provides frozen meals for weekend and evenings upon clients' request.

For more information about dining site and homedelivered meals that are available in your area, contact the Area Office on Aging at 800-472-7277.