Coming to a senior near you: Bacon, lettuce and tomato, courtesy of the Buckley Senior Center.
Like Enumclaw before them, volunteers south of the White River have started delivering regular hot meals to local seniors, helping them stay fed and giving them a friendly face to see twice a week.
The “Food for Friends” effort, which started Feb. 1, was launched by Senior Center Program Coordinator Chloe Mickelson with the help of a $20,000 grant from the Gary Milgard Family Foundations. Mickelson applied for the grant in September and secured the funding in late December.
They have a year to spend the grant money, Mickelson said. The Senior Center will provide quarterly reports to the foundation on their program, and the funding may be renewed based, partly, on how well it performs. (Organizations can apply once per year for grants from the foundation.)
Mickelson said she modeled “Food for Friends” after Enumclaw’s successful Neighbors Feeding Neighbors program, which includes a similar effort to cook and deliver hot meals to local seniors.
“A lot of our population is trying to age in place gracefully, and it makes it hard if you can’t stand for long periods of time, or you’re also caring for your loved one,” Mickelson said. “There’s all sorts of difference circumstances, but they’re in need, and that’s what we’re (here for.)”
If things go well enough after this pilot year, Mickelson said, they’d like to partner with the Rainier Foothills Wellness Foundation to streamline their efforts and create “something that could serve the entire plateau.”
The grant funds positions for Mickelson and Julie Carlmas, a part-time cook. (Carlmas has also worked as a cook for the Enumclaw Senior Center.)
Tuesday and Thursday mornings, a team of volunteers help prepare the meals, and then head out in teams to deliver them to seniors around the White River School District area.
“It’s amazing what we’re able to accomplish with volunteers,” Mickelson said. “They’re just the backbones of these organizations (in Buckley). I couldn’t toot their horn enough.”
Seniors who are homebound or otherwise have a need for food delivery get a hot meal for the day along with cutlery, paper plates, and even dessert like cookies or pie. They also receive a cold meal to save for the next day, so seniors can receive up to four meals per week.
Seniors can also come in to pick up meals if they’d like, Mickelson said.
“It helps … make sure they get the nutrition they need, and also helps them be able to interact with people and the community,” volunteer Annie Davisson said. “And it’s kind of the same for me. I get to interact with the older generation, hear really cool stories and get to know them. … And it’s nice to see them smiling.”
Judy Hernandez, who helps deliver the meals, moved to the area from California two years ago and said volunteering for the program helps her feel more involved in the community.
“I wanted to meet a need in the community, and also get to know people,” she said. “The people we’re delivering to are so grateful, and it just makes you feel like you’re doing something worthwhile.”
Currently, the program serves around 20 to 25 households per week, though the number fluctuates, Mickelson said. With four meals delivered each week, that comes out to (roughly) 400 meals delivered a month, 200 of them hot. They have capacity to serve about 50 seniors, she said.
Seniors or their loved ones interested in the program, or volunteers who want to help out, can learn more by contacting Mickelson at cmickelson@cityofbuckley.com or
“(For) those that are isolated, even this makes a huge difference,” Mickelson said.
