WASHTENAW COUNTY – The Washtenaw County Office of Community and Economic Development (OCED) is excited to announce the reopening of Lincoln Golden Ages’ Senior Café site. Senior Nutrition Program (SNP) staff as well as County Commissioner Justin Hodge were on site to celebrate the opening last week.
In 2020, Lincoln Golden Ages shut down their congregate meal program due to lack of participation. Since, the senior center has been working hard to grow services. They have had over 60 new seniors join the center and have been developing community partnerships to expand programming at the site. They now have a wide array of offerings including chair yoga and bingo.
The site reached out to SNP staff to explore reopening the Senior Café. After staff visited, it was clear Lincoln Golden Ages was a great candidate for a site and was ready to take it on. On opening day, the café served 20 meals.
According to District 5 Commissioner Hodge, Vice-Chair of the Board of Commissioners, “The reopening of the Lincoln Golden Ages Senior Center meal program is a powerful reminder that funding from the Older Persons Services Millage is making a real difference in the lives of our older adults. In our rural communities, access to consistent, nutritious meals is a matter of health, connection, and dignity. Senior nutrition was one of the top priorities of the millage, and I am proud to see that commitment being realized right here in our community.”
Staff are excited to continue to see the site grow in the coming months and years. The Lincoln Golden Ages Senior Café is in Brick Elementary School at 8970 Whittaker Road in Ypsilanti and serves meals from 12pm to 1pm on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays.
Senior Cafés are housed under the Senior Nutrition Program at OCED. Since 1992, the Senior Nutrition Program has been hosting Senior Cafés to ensure seniors have access to nutritious meals. Senior Cafés are congregate meals that aim to not only provide low-cost, nutritious meals to seniors, but also hope to provide seniors with a sense of community. Senior Cafés provide socialization opportunities, a space for seniors outside of their homes, and opportunities for other events.
Anyone and everyone are welcome to attend Senior Cafés. Those aged 60 years or older are encouraged to make a small donation per meal, but it is not required. Those under 60 can get a meal for $5.50. Any money that is raised during meals is reinvested into the site. There are ten current Senior Café sites in Washtenaw County, and OCED hopes to continue to expand throughout the county.
To learn more about Senior Cafés and the Senior Nutrition Program, email Marti Popyk at popykm@washtenaw.org or visit www.washtenaw.org/SNP.
About Washtenaw County Office of Community and Economic Development (OCED)
In service of our belief that all Washtenaw County residents deserve a high quality of life, OCED delivers critical programs and community initiatives in the areas of human services, housing and infrastructure, community development, and economic opportunity. We serve local individuals, families, and communities through a mix of direct services, public policy development, and investment of monetary and technical support.
To learn more, visit www.washtenaw.org/oced
