PENDLETON -- A new senior lunch program is in the works at the Pendleton Eagles Lodge.
Members of Aerie No. 28 and representatives from the Community Action Program of East Central Oregon invited local seniors Wednesday, Jan. 15, to the lodge in downtown Pendleton to explore the possibility of organizing a weekly senior lunch service.
Pendleton Eagles Lodge President Bob Fowler and head trustee Jim Byrnes teamed up with Stephanie Heton, CAPECO program director, to discuss donations, meals and activity services for the senior program.
More than 30 local seniors and community members attended the event to ask questions and express their concerns about the service.
Heton also brought along CAPECO program manager Daniel Curtiss and CAPECO nutrition coordinator Russ Smith to join the discussion and share their expertise.
"There's the basic nutrition component of it, but that's probably the least important piece," Curtiss said. "There's the socialization and the interaction part, getting seniors kind of out of their homes and talking to other folks in a similar age bracket, just so they can interact, have some fun and talk to someone."
Byrnes said local seniors haven't had a community space to share meals, socialize and play games since the old Pendleton Senior Center shut down during the coronovirus pandemic.
" I'm a senior, and I want to be able to have access to this type of stuff," James Reinhart said. "And that quit years ago for me in the community, and it's really needed.
Reinhart said a lot of seniors on Social Security and with limited incomes cannot afford to eat every single day.
"To have a place to go, get a free meal or pay minimal for a meal and have good nutrition, you can't ask for anything better than that," he said.
Fowler said if the program moves forward, the lunch service will begin in early February, running on Wednesdays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Seniors are encouraged to donate for the service, but donations are not required.
The Pendleton Eagles Lodge will receive a $2,200 donation from CAPECO to cover food operations through June 30. However, the lodge will need additional funding to offset costs, Fowler said.
" We have set enough aside that we can prolong this until we get new money on July 1," Fowler said. "If we get enough pledges, we should be able to carry ourselves through the first year."
In the meantime, Byrnes has been collecting pledge donations from several local businesses to cover extra costs and help get the program off the ground.
The senior lunch also will depend heavily on volunteers to assist in the kitchen and serve tables.
" One of the mottos of the Eagles is 'people helping people,'" Fowler said. "And we're a part of this community, so we want to help in any way we can."