|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
The game of musical chairs has finally ended, giving low-income seniors a seat at the indoor table after La Comida’s senior nutrition program and First United Methodist Church in downtown Palo Alto established a new partnership on Dec. 4.
La Comida served meals inside the Avenidas building on Bryant Avenue for nearly 40 years, but reconstruction of the Avenidas building caused the senior nutrition program to leave in 2017 after it found that the new dining area would be too small.
Since July, La Comida and Avenidas came to an agreement for the lunch program to operate in the parking lot behind Avenidas and inside Avenidas’ hallways. But splitting diners between indoor and outdoor spaces was not ideal for La Comida’s congregate-dining programs, the nonprofit organization said in a press release.
Seniors using La Comida’s services also faced cold and wet weather while using the outdoor seating since Avenidas is closing during the holidays.
“Rev. Burke Owens, the staff and trustees at First United Methodist came to the rescue. Under the new deal, all La Comida patrons will dine together indoors in a large ballroom space with plenty of room for social activities,” La Comida said.
The first lunch meal was served to the seniors on Dec. 4 in the new space. The program will run Monday to Friday 11:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m at 625 Hamilton Ave.
La Comida will continue to run its congregate lunch program at Stevenson House in south Palo Alto.