Just before noon every weekday, seniors arrive at the Morgan
Hill Senior Center in their own cars, taxis
– and some carpool – to socialize with other seniors, add pieces
to unfinished puzzles, play computer games and to eat a hot lunch.
This is just one part of free food benefits available for needy
residents.
Just before noon every weekday, seniors arrive at the Morgan Hill Senior Center in their own cars, taxis – and some carpool – to socialize with other seniors, add pieces to unfinished puzzles, play computer games and to eat a hot lunch. This is just one part of free food benefits available for needy residents.
Eligible South Valley seniors, and mothers and children as well, can count on the generous weekly bread donations from Nob Hill Foods, along with contributions from Monterey Mushrooms, Del Monte Foods, the American Legion and agencies like Second Harvest Food Bank, Meals on Wheels, Catholic Charities and Reach Out to help provide daily hot lunches and to keep their pantries full.
Second Harvest that operates out of the Morgan Hill Senior Center located on Crest Avenue next to the YMCA is thankful for the continued support of The American Legion that recently received a special plaque from the local Second Harvest for years of volunteering its facilities where the Food Bank drops off truckloads of food every week.
From a warehouse in San Jose, Second Harvest delivers five substantially large pallets of food to the American Legion Hall located in the building between the Senior Center and the YMCA.
Volunteers from the Senior Center and the community use tables from the American Legion to unload the food, then sort and sack groceries that stock senior’s pantries.
Seniors gather at the Legion Hall building every Thursday from 7-10 a.m. to get their bags of groceries.
“There are about 20 seniors who are unable to pick up their food, so we deliver to them,” said Evelyn Lemberger, who runs the Second Harvest program in Morgan Hill.
The 90-year-old Second Harvest volunteer of 28 years coordinates 15 other volunteers for the Food Bank. Lemberger is also past president of AARP and Chamber of Commerce Woman of the Year 2000.
“Groceries consist of bakery goods, pasta, chili, eggs, fresh and frozen vegetables, powered milk and canned mixed fruit,” said Lemberger. “We get a lot of rice from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and we used to get cheese from them; it would be nice to get it again.”
In addition to sit-down meals, home-delivered meals and lunches for all who attend, the Senior Center provides a variety of social services. Among these are health promotion programs, social events, informational sessions and transportation.
“We are happy with our Center, but we could use more volunteers,” said Lemberger. Lemberger said that the Center could use more brown paper bags for the groceries and newspapers that the regional office donates to florists in exchange for cash contributions. Bags and newspapers can be dropped off at the Center.
The Morgan Hill Nutrition Center, supported by the Catholic Charities and the United Way, prepares hot meals for 97 seniors each week at the Senior Center.
“We want the community to know that all seniors are welcome to join us for lunch,” said Felina Carpio, site manager for the Nutrition Center.
“We want to raise awareness for our senior meal program to the community,” added Carpio.
To qualify for the lunch, sign-in is at 11:30 a.m. and the cost is $2 for seniors 60 years old and over regardless of income.
The community is working together to make sure that no one is left hungry.
“All of our surplus food goes to Reach Out at St. Catherine’s Church,” said Lemberger.
Eligible unemployed and working families who live in Morgan Hill, San Martin and Coyote can come to the church located in Morgan Hill on Peak Avenue Monday through Friday from 1-2:30 p.m. to pick up groceries. Second Harvest also contributes to Reach Out.
“A team of 60 volunteers help bag groceries for over 300 families per month,” said Joan Dellamaggiore, coordinator for the local Reach Out program.
Because Reach Out is a designated charity of Nob Hill, in addition to receiving donated cash from the store’s patrons, they also participate in a wholesale purchasing program.
Patrons can donate cash by including donation cards, located in front of the cash register at check out, to their grocery cart for $1, $5 and $10 when paying for groceries.
“When we have extra food, we give it to our local shelter and the Loving and Learning Center for Women,” said Dellamaggiore. The center is located in Morgan Hill on Church Street.
“Each week, Meals on Wheels delivers seven frozen dinners, one frozen breakfast, six instant breakfasts, one carton of orange juice, one loaf of bread and one half gallon of low-fat milk,” said Mina Marks, lead person for Meal on Wheels regional office in San Jose.
Meals on Wheels, which is a part of the Council on Aging, is funded in part by the United Way and the state of California, delivers frozen meals to 53 seniors in Morgan Hill who are over 60 with reduced mobility or who are unable to cook food for themselves.
With the support and donations from local churches, supermarkets, farmers, food agencies and the community working together, Morgan Hill locals can count on the kindness of the community and do not have to go without food.
“We would like to increase our volunteer list to have more help for unloading the truck on Thursday mornings,” said Lemberger. Volunteers receive free food for helping.
To learn about volunteering for the Second Harvest program in Morgan Hill, visit www.2ndharvest.net, call Evelyn Lemberger at 779-7174 or the regional office at 266-8866.
