BCC suspends free senior meals; COCOA works to resolve issue

Bend’s Community Center announced this week it will suspend its free senior lunch program, at least until September. But the organization it has worked with gave assurances Wednesday it will seek a new partner and find other means to provide the needed service.

BCC officials said Tuesday they’re ending the program because of a shortage of food and a lack of adequate funding.

The Central Oregon Council on Aging issued this statement about the situation Wednesday:

“The Central Oregon Council on Aging (COCOA) would like to thank Bend’s Community Center (BCC) for many years of service providing congregate meals to seniors in our community. COCOA wishes BCC well as they pursue new programs, services and delivery models to benefit those in Bend.

“COCOA remains committed to providing congregate dining for seniors aged 60 and older in Bend and will, toward that end, continue to search for a community partner to restart the meal program.

“COCOA is working to provide a temporary meal voucher for the seniors that are no longer being served by BCC. For further information about COCOA’s meal services or to inquire about becoming a senior meal service provider, please contact COCOA Executive Officer Matt Verdieck at541-678-5483ormverdieck@councilonaging.org.”

Bend’s Community Center serves about 700 senior meals a month, or roughly 35 a day.

“What we quickly realized was it was not a sustainable program,” Board Chair Amanda Lenke said.

Lenke said the senior lunch program can’t accept food donations, due to rules for government-funded meal programs, so most of the food has to be bought out of pocket.

“There are some seniors who are upset — and they should be,” Lenke said.

Lenke said any time changes happen at Bend’s Community Center, it’s a tough decision.

Arlene Eichelberger, who relies on the senior lunch program, is looking somewhere else to find a hot meal.

“I’m able to get those lunches, and when you’re on fixed income, it’s sometimes kind of hard to survive,” Eichelberger said.

Richard Bortels said he comes with his wife every day. Now, they’ll have to bring their own lunch.

“This is one way of getting out and socializing,” Bortels said.

Bend’s Community Center has formed a committee to figure out a way to make the senior lunch program work.

The committee is looking at other local organizations, like NeighborImpact, to see if the can help bring back the program later this fall.

“We’d love to open it next month, if we can,” Lenke said. “And if we can get a solution going, it will open as soon as possible. But (at) the very least, it will open after September.”

Here’s a list of other free lunch programs in Bend

Family Kitchen

231 NW Idaho

541-382-5542

Monday, Wednesday, Friday

11:00 a.m -12:30 p.m.

Shepherd House

854 NE Division

Monday -Saturday

12:00 p.m.-1:00 p.m.

For more information on Bend’s Community Center, visit http://www.bendscommunitycenter.org/