Debbie McDonald
I’m going to make a confession that blows my mind. I turned 70 years old this year, 70! I was a girl when my Nana turned 50 and I thought she was going to die any day because that was REALLY OLD in my young mind. Now I’m sure my grandsons think the same about me. I’m aware that I need to be flexible and adaptive, aware of my surroundings, and take care of myself as I plan to live many more quality years. After all, my mother is turning 90 years old in January (shhh, don’t tell her I spilled the beans) so I come from good stock.
With this birthday milestone, I’ve also become aware of the many services available in Klickitat County through Senior Services (https://www.klickitatcounty.org/341/Senior-Programs); and one program that I thoroughly enjoy is Senior Lunch at the Lyle Lions club on Tuesdays. There are many good reasons for this program – the hot meal provides at least one third of the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of nutrients for seniors. Also important for seniors’ well-being is the socialization that goes on before and during the meal. Folks greet each other, ask about their lives, notice when a regular attendee is missing, and share stories all while enjoying a hot, tasty meal.
The Lyle Lions club has a wonderful self-contained kitchen, so meals consisting of a main dish, veggie or salad, bread and dessert are completely prepared on-site. Volunteer cooks (I’d venture to say they are all seniors, too) come to the kitchen every Tuesday in the early morning and take pride in the meals they prep, cook, bake and assemble. Other folks (again, mostly seniors) come in a bit later to help with washing dishes, serving meals, and cleaning up.
Seniors are asked to donate $3.50 and other folks pay $6.50 to cover the cost of food. All ages are welcome to attend. Some folks come with a caregiver, some with a family member or friend, and some folks come to meet up or make new friends. You’ll find High Prairie neighbors as well as folks from the Lyle area there on Tuesdays. Don’t be shy. The doors open at 10:00 a.m. to mingle and you can get a hot or cold beverage if you’d like; lunch is served at noon.
There are 5 senior lunch sites throughout Klickitat County that serve on different weekdays. You can find the schedule at the website link above, as well as information on other county senior programs. Write yourself a post-it reminder to come on Tuesday for a lovely meal as well as conversations with good friends (and no clean-up!)