December 2006 Vol. 25. No. 12

Published by the Humboldt Senior Resource Center in Eureka, California. HSRC is a non-profit community-based organization offering services for senior citizens, multi-generational families and caregivers.

Silvercrest Dining Center: New site develops an energetic following
Area Agency on Aging meeting names Senior Friends
Think About It: Foul weather driving - getting to your destination safely
Hot fresh lunch, plus: Senior dining centers offer more than a meal
Food safety for the holidays
Ferndale - Join the new slcial evening at the movies

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Jean Benson serves Eddie Smith and Emma Slay turkey with all the fixin's at Silvercrest. Photo by Barbara Clark

The Silvercrest lunch site is a busy place. The numbers continue to grow after the Humboldt Senior Resource Center launched the satellite site at Silvercrest in the spring of 2005.

For a number of years, the Salvation Army operated a senior lunch site. Without the availability of federal funding, the Army had difficulty in subsidizing the program, and with great reservations, the program was discontinued. HSRC, with the cooperation of the Area 1 Agency on Aging, stepped right in without any interruption in meals and opened this satellite site.

Mary Wilson, site coordinator, reports that the attendance is increasing as new tenants move in. Although the site is located in the dining room of the Silvercrest Residence in Eureka, the meal is open to all seniors in the community. "We would love to have more folks from the community join us," Wilson said.

Toivo Lehtonen eats his meals at the site because of the money. "You can save a lot of money eating here," he said.

Jean Benson volunteers in the dining room five days a week. Jean had seen a notice that Mary needed volunteers. She missed working, so this provided a good fit. Jean enjoys seeing all the people and likes to help out. She eats in the dining room every day. "I like the food," she said. "I eat everything." She eats at the site because there are "no dishes, don't have to fix it, no hauling groceries and saves money on the grocery bill."

Eddie Smith eats in the dining room "every day I can. For me it is excellent. It is healthy food, a variety and surprisingly well prepared. Everybody involved in the program is helpful." He also likes not having to cook. It saves him time for other interests like scoring and arranging music.

Join us for good food with a social atmosphere. Call by 1 p.m. the day before to make your reservation, 442-6143.

Come for Christmas dinner

We are so pleased that the Salvation Army is once again providing the Thanksgiving and Christmas meals for seniors in the community. Seniors can join us at noon on Christmas Day. Be sure to call Silvercrest, 445-3141, for your reservation. We want to make sure we have plenty of food.

Barbara Walser is property manager of Silvercrest Residence in Eureka.