Our Senior Lunch program has had to change its delivery model (thank you CoVid-19, gag) from a lively scene of rambunctious seniors gathering together every Tuesday and Thursday, to a take-out model, in which their entry had been spaced so that there is no congestion at the door, they have had minimal contact with staff and each other, but still got to have a hearty meal and at least say hello and smile to each other. Today we had to alter the model again, out of even more stringent caution, and now we deliver the meals to their cars in the parking lot instead.
However, we still have a few in town who we get to deliver to their front porches, a few girlies we normally pick up and bring to the Center, and this is one of them. Elaine’s 91st birthday is this coming Monday, and we surprised her with flowers, a fun card, and our driver James serenading her with “Happy Birthday.” (Sorry, no audio footage was available of the serenade, ha!
James sent me this picture he took, and when Cheryl and I saw this picture, we were instantly reminded how important our work is, not just feeding our elderly, but providing them with a tremendous support network. If you really look at this picture, look at Elaine’s eyes, you can see how much this service means to her. The BDCC’s Senior Programs are another form of “family” to our seniors
“Isolation” is a key buzz-word in the human services industry, a concept and condition all of us senior center programs combat on a constant basis. It is especially challenging in our rural area. This CoronaVirus situation will make that challenge even greater for every single one of us agencies, and we are grateful we get to continue doing what we do.
We may not be able to hug each other or share a meal with our neighbors (in close proximity anyway), but we can all do our part to take care of our seniors in this trying time. Leave some flowers at your elderly neighbor’s door, give them a call, spend 10-20 minutes on the phone with them, send a funny picture to cheer them up, pick up some groceries or a treat for them at the store, do something to let them know they are not alone and that they are loved.
Now, I need to call MY mother ~ Leslie
