New senior meals program allows seniors to eat at local diners

Senior adults around Adair County have a couple more options now for receiving a quality meal at a reduced price thanks to a program called Connections Cafe that has is being implemented by Connections Area Agency on Aging.

This is a new project that helps provide older Iowans who are 60 and over, and their spouses, receive hot or cold food options through Connections AAA, who partners with local eating establishments.

There are only four eating establishments currently participating in this program, and two are here in Adair County, The Dugout Cafe in Orient and the Bridgewater Cafe. Beginning March 1, The Olive Branch in Greenfield intends to participate.

Menus from participating cafes, diners and restaurants are used to develop a special program menu designed to meet the guideline of this initiative.

Partnering cafes receive reimbursement for the meals sold. Aging Iowans are able to enjoy a meal at a suggested contribution of $3.50 for dine-in and $3.75 for carry-out. Since Dec. 18, 2021, over 135 seniors have registered for the program area-wide.

Sherri Carson, the Healty Living Coordinator for Connections AAA, said this is a state-level program backed by a grant from federal funds that covers the whole state of Iowa being able to have this program.

“It’s partnering with local eating establishments, especially in the areas where we don’t currently have senior centers, so that we can get meals out to people who need them — people who maybe want to get out and socialize but maybe can’t afford to go everyday to a cafe,” Carson said. “This way it affords them the opportunity to do so without putting a big economic stress on their finances.”

Louis Cruz, who owns and operates The Dugout Cafe with his wife Susan in Orient, has seen the benefits of being a partner in this program. So has Amy Thompson, who manages the Bridgewater Cafe.

“We have tons of people in here now. Our list, we have one page then an add on from two other pages. We have at least over 50 participating,” Cruz said. “We were the first ones to do this in Adair County, I think, and I think it’s a good program for the older community. They’re living on a budget plan and this kind of helps out a lot.”

Thompson explained that the program was very easy to jump on board with and word spread quickly as the Bridgewater Cafe began offering it.

Patrons signed up for the program have a card identifying them as a participant in the Connections Cafe program that they are to show before ordering. They’re limited to 15 meals each month in the program.

“I looked at this and said it looked like a good idea. We got it all set up. I advertised it on our tables on a Sunday and also put it on Facebook. By the next Wednesday we had almost 30 people who had heard about it, and it seems to be a popular thing,” Thompson said. “The first day I had nine people come in and use their cards. They’re all locals, they all eat in here once in awhile, but none of them eat dinner in here. They came in and ate dinner that day and were taking advantage of the fact that it’s at a reduced price for them. They also know it’s good for the cafe because everything helps a little bit.”

Carson said she hopes the Connections Cafe program continues to expand with time.

“”So far we have four [restaurants] in place and we have several others in the works to get on board as well,” she said. “We’re super excited. The restaurants [in Adair County] have been super good to work with.”

For additional information on the Connections Cafe program, call 800-432-9209, ext. 8702.

The senior meal sites are open at the Adair County Health and Fitness Center in Greenfield Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and the meal site in Orient is open Tuesdays and Thursdays for lunch.