Southeast Linn Community Center has restarted their Friday in person meals at the center.
Relaunched under the new name the Linn Lunch Bunch, the meal programs offer senior citizens and members of the community to eat lunch and take part in social activities as part of the meal.
“We’re working with our partners Horizons Unlimited and Heritage Agency on Aging to provide these opportunities,” Nicole McAlexander said.
The congregate meals in person program were stopped at the height of COVID-19 nearly two years ago. McAlexander said they did try offering congregate meals in person last summer, but people were not ready for that to happen.
There’s a total of 30 to 35 Meals on Wheels deliveries that happen every year.
In order to have a meal at Linn Lunch Bunch, reservations need to be made a day in advance to help volunteers know how many meals to prepare for.
Southeast Linn Community Center also offers Friday Bingo games ahead of Linn Lunch Bunch from 10:30-11:30 a.m.
“We will try to do these types of things more often,” McAlexander said.
Linn Lunch Bunch serves from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Fridays, with meals provided by Horizons.
At the ribbon cutting for the Linn Lunch Bunch were (front, from left): Barb and John Bardsley (City of Lisbon), Tom Wieseler (mayor of Mount Vernon and Mount Vernon Bank and Trust), Lisa White (Cornell College), Ashley Dunford (Mount Vernon Bank and Trust) Kate Rose, Nicole McAlexander (Southeast Linn Community Center), Tim Getty (Heritage Area Agency on Aging), Mike Barnhart (Horizons), Melissa Wahl (Horizons), Michelle Zaruba (Hills Bank), Steve Barnhart, Joe Jennison (Mount Vernon-Lisbon Community Development Group) and Brenda Langenberg (Hills Bank)