The Milford Senior Center is taking a new approach to its summer meal service, aiming to make the most of its resources while still meeting community needs.
Currently, the center serves lunch every weekday. Great Western Dining through Southeast Community College caters the meals during the school year. In the summer, Milford Senior Center Director Mystique Lauer prepares the meals herself.
This year, that schedule will shift.
In order to save money while still serving as many people as possible, the Milford Senior Center will offer meals three days a week — Tuesdays through Thursdays.
“This is a trial run to kind of see how we can better meet people’s needs,” Lauer said.
The updated schedule will run from Tuesday, May 12, through Thursday, Aug. 13. Lunch will still be served at 11:45 a.m. each of those days. When Great Western Dining resumes service in the fall, daily meals will return.
About five to 11 people typically attend meals. Lauer said the decision was based on attendance patterns and research into how other senior centers operate.
Wednesday is typically the most attended meal of the week, followed by Tuesday and Thursday. Mondays and Fridays tend to see lower turnout, likely due to weekend travel or time spent with family.
“If it’s better that we serve those three days and provide for more people, I’d rather do it that way,” she said. “For example, nobody was at our last lunch on a Monday. I’d rather save the time, the effort, the financials of trying to plan it than add that on to doing it Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday.”
Lauer creates menus that follow federal guidelines outlined by the Older Americans Act and offers a wide variety of foods, including casseroles, sandwiches, meatloaf, soups, quiches, salads, fruits and vegetables.
“I’ll ask them, ‘Is there something that you’ve been wanting?’” she said. “I do a lot of fresh vegetables and fresh fruit salads, because it’s summer – let’s take advantage of it. It’s really kind of fun to see what you can come up with.”
The suggested contribution for a meal is $8 for those ages 60 and up and $9 for those under 60.
Joyce Daake of Milford, a former member of the center’s board, has frequented the Milford Senior Center since her retirement 10 years ago.
“While my husband was still alive, we ate at the senior center for most meals, simply because it was a balanced meal, and we didn’t have to shop,” she said. “You didn’t have to do cooking and clean up and all of that, and it got him out to be around people.”
Lauer said that seniors often face food insecurity due to age. For example, they may struggle to remember if they turned off the oven, to see the numbers on the microwave, to keep track of leftovers and food amounts, to stand for periods of time or to read a recipe. Meals at the senior center help with this.
“I enjoy seeing people come together and enjoy that social time and know that they don’t have to take care of anything,” she said. “They don’t have to cook it, they don’t have to store the leftovers, they don’t have to clean up afterwards. We’ll take care of that, and they can enjoy the meal.”
Some seniors have shared with Lauer that their primary interactions outside the home are doctor’s appointments and funerals. Coming to the center offers them a fun chance to connect with friends and experience a change of scenery.
“Nobody likes to stay home 24/7,” she said. “To get out, get some fresh air, socialize with people in the same age range, just to laugh and hear other people’s stories is just so much fun.”
Daake still enjoys attending meals at the center, noting that she appreciates the camaraderie among people she may not otherwise get to see. Additionally, it is rare to get a full meal with drinks and dessert for such a low suggested cost.
She said she understands the need for the schedule change, especially when so few people attend meals on Mondays and Fridays.
“I think, in the summer, people are so busy coming and going that this new schedule should work fine,” Daake said. “It’s pretty hard for the senior center to operate in the summer without using SCC for the food, because it involves hours of planning and cooking and buying groceries and all of those things.”
Lauer said she looks forward to continuing to bring balanced meals to the table this summer.
Those planning to attend must reserve their meals in advance by calling (402) 761-3367, emailing milfordneseniorcenter@gmail.com or stopping by the center. Reservations must be made by the Friday before the week they plan to dine, beginning Friday, May 8.
