For many local senior citizens, lunch at Morgan Hill’s
Centennial Recreation Center is a crucial part of their everyday
lives that fills two important needs
– nutrition and socialization.
For many local senior citizens, lunch at Morgan Hill’s Centennial Recreation Center is a crucial part of their everyday lives that fills two important needs – nutrition and socialization.
John and Bonnie Camisa eat lunch at the Senior Center up to four days a week, and an average of 85 people show up to eat lunch there every day it is offered, Monday through Friday.
“In many cases it’s the only nutritious meal these seniors can get,” John Camisa, 69, said while waiting for Friday’s meal of roasted chicken, stuffing, green beans and gravy. “Equally important is the camaraderie and friendship that develops. So it provides a multitude of needs, physically and psychologically.”
The senior lunch program, which is expected to serve more than 20,000 meals to people age 65 and older in the current fiscal year, is operated by the city of Morgan Hill and funded by Santa Clara County and the YMCA. Two paid cooks and numerous volunteers serve the meal.
But like many other county programs, the Nutrition Program – which funds similar meals throughout Santa Clara County – is in danger of being cut out of next year’s budget due to reductions in the state budget and the growing local deficit.
County Supervisor Don Gage visited the senior center at lunch time last Tuesday with Morgan Hill Mayor Steve Tate. Gage was presented with a petition, signed by more than 1,700 people, asking the board of supervisors to keep the nutrition program going.
Gage was moved by the petition, which he plans to distribute to his colleagues on the board. He said Friday that he will work to continue the county’s financial share of the senior lunch program, which he called “necessary” and “efficient.”
“I think we’re in good shape,” said Gage. “When you have people who are passionate about something and they show up, that puts pressure on elected officials to do something. For them to come up with 1,700 signatures in such a short period of time is significant.”
Some have assumed the program would be on the chopping block because the county has warned in recent weeks that social service programs in general will be cut substantially next year, since that’s where the state was most likely to cut funding. However, Gage said the state budget that was finally approved last week does not cut funding for county nutrition programs.
Lunch is only part of the array of services, activities and programs offered at the Morgan Hill Senior Center. The Camisas said they play bridge there a couple times a week.
Tate described the Morgan Hill Senior Center as an important place for seniors to socialize. He explained that many people show up in the morning to play cards or take aerobics or scrapbooking classes.
“The meal is the heart of the program,” said Tate. “It’s very important to their nutrition and more important to their well being so they can keep vital and active.”
According to Senior Center Director Susan Fent, the county spends about $113,000 per year on senior lunches in Morgan Hill, and the YMCA spends about $20,000. Staff also requests a donation of $2 per person, or $5 for those under the age of 60.
The need for the lunch program and other services for seniors is growing as the population of people over the age of 60 in Santa Clara County is expected to increase by 150 percent within the next 30 years, Fent said.
“Our participation rates have increased in the last year, partly due to (the addition of) more programming and services, but there’s also more of a need than there has been before,” she said.
Last Friday there were more than 100 seniors eating lunch at the CRC’s Senior Cafe because it was “Birthday Day.” Everyone who celebrates a birthday in February was saluted and there was live music and dancing.
Durward Bynum, 89, who was busy dancing before lunch was served, started volunteering for the lunch program as soon as he found out about it three years ago. He explained that many of the regular attendees have lost their spouses, are unable or unwilling to cook just for themselves, and spend most of the day by themselves.
He said even cutting a portion of the program or reducing it to three lunches per week instead of five would be unfortunate.
“Losing this would be a tremendous loss to some people,” Bynum said.
