WINONA LAKE – With rising food costs and many seniors living on fixed incomes, another nutrition site for Kosciusko County senior citizens is being opened.
A grand opening will be Friday from 10 a.m. to noon at the Winona Lake Senior Center, 1590 Park Avenue, to mark the opening of the county’s eighth nutrition site for seniors.
The goal of the sites are to provide a hot meal and place for seniors to socialize.
The Winona Lake site will start serving lunches at noon Monday.
The location will be open from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
While also serving a hot meal to seniors, the center is also open to allow for people to get to know each other, play cards, and get involved in nutrition programs.
Mary Costner serves as the site director in Winona Lake.
“Many seniors are found to be eating things like popcorn as a meal,” said Kosciusko County Coordinator Kathy Cox. “And a lot of seniors are having to decide between food and medication.”
With rising food costs for things like fruits and vegetables combined with processed foods being so much cheaper, it’s important for seniors to get a good meal, said Cox.
It’s also important for seniors to spend time with other people.
“Socialization is so important,” said Cox. “They can spend time with other people, connect with others. It may be the only place they get to spend time with other people.”
The Winona Lake center is not a soup kitchen and donations are appreciated.
The program is open to anyone over the age of 60 and the meals are not diet specific.
Rides can be set up through Kosciusko Senior Services. To set up a ride, call 574-267-2012.
Rides must be called for at least a day in advance.
Those wanting to arrange a meal must also call a day in advance by calling 574-540-9309.
Other nutrition sites in Kosciusko County are in Syracuse, North Webster, Pierceton, Retired Tigers, Senior Arts Center at Pike Lake, Mentone and Silver Lake.
