Southwick Council on Aging Director Cindy Sullivan delivers a meal to a resident March 24, 2020. The Senior Center is offering drive-up lunches for those who call ahead. (THE WESTFIELD NEWS FILE PHOTO/HOPE E. TREMBLAY)
SOUTHWICK – As COVID-related cases skyrocket, local services such as the meals program at the Southwick Senior Center remain an integral part of the community.
“Through COVID, it is important for people to get the food that they need,” Council on Aging Executive Director Cindy Sullivan said. “This is a safe way for them to leave their house, come get a meal and go home.”
Since the coronavirus outbreak began earlier this year, the Council on Aging/senior center has seen demand for their grab-and-go meals nearly triple. Prior to COVID, some 15-20 meals were provided daily, but now that number is expected to remain steady at somewhere around 50-60 a day.
“We saw a decrease in the summer … but those numbers will start to go up now with COVID,” Sullivan said. “People are getting more tired, more scared. With COVID affecting older populations, we hope people get the food that they need.”
The Council on Aging/Senior Center provides grab-and-go meals daily Monday through Friday, beginning at 11:30 a.m. Those meals are provided through Highland Valley Services and distributed at the senior center by workers donning masks and gloves, who place them on the passenger side of people’s vehicles.
An additional 25-30 meals are delivered daily to homebound clients through Meals on Wheels.
The senior center teamed up with local ice cream shop, Moolicious Farm, to deliver nearly 200 special Thanksgiving meals to its at-home community this past holiday. That partnership with the Town of Southwick and Moolicuos has been ongoing now for seven years.
“That is just amazing for our seniors; we are blessed to have that,” Sullivan said.
On Dec. 16, Moolicious will partner with the senior center again to help deliver a special Christmas meal from Tucker’s Restaurant as part of the Council on Aging’s “Candy Cane Extravaganza.”
A total of 100 people have signed up for the holiday meal.
Sullivan and Southwick Chief Administrative Officer Karl Stinehart reached out to the Southwick Select Board for help to continue the annual holiday meal and party tradition which typically is celebrated at the Southwick Senior Center but will take place curbside this year due to the pandemic. The Board responded with a $1,000 donation from its gift account to use toward the luncheon.
While the Council on Aging is providing a valuable service with its meal program, it is not just all about the food, Sullivan said.
“This is our chance to be able to see (our at-risk community) and see what their needs are,” she said.
To help boost residents’ spirits this past year, senior senior workers have doled out prizes for costumes on Halloween and handed out crafts, coloring books, crossword puzzles, wordsearch books, and even toilet paper and paper towels.
“Now that was like we struck gold,” Sullivan said of the often hard-to-find necessities. “We are doing things to keep people engaged and not so isolated.”
Senior center workers recently delivered a cake to a 100-year old resident, and continue to run BINGO on Zoom.
The Southwick Senior Center is currently looking for a Meals on Wheels driver to deliver to its homebound clients. Drivers must pass a CORY check, and are supplied with PPE while delivering as well as mileage reimbursement. Anyone interested in applying for the position is asked to call the senior center at 413-569-5498.
Anyone interested in receiving a grab-and-go meal is urged to contact the senior center 24 hours in advance of the scheduled pick-up day.
