Senior Nutrition Services

As a driver for Meals on Wheels I don't often refer to or use our official designation as a program of Senior Nutrition Services which itself is a branch of Sacramento County government. To at least some extent, one of the reasons is that until about two months ago I was less than impressed about what else Senior Nutrition Services did other than prepare the meals that we drivers delivered.

At Orangevale there was a small lunchroom with seating for maybe 12. Before April 1, the food delivery truck dropped out meals for 3 Meals on Wheels routes of 8 to 12 meals each and another 8 to 10 meals for the lunchroom on site. From the few times that I finished my route before the lunchroom crowd finished eating, I wasn't impressed. It was crowded, institutional looking, and generally uninviting.


The first of April my food delivery point (where I got the meals to deliver) was changed from Orangevale to Folsom. It is like two different worlds. At Folsom as these pictures show, the lunchroom is part of a larger auditorium which gives the feeling that these meals are part of a banquet. And the staff, mostly volunteer, do their best to make at least one meal a week an inviting experience. Of course the decor is already self-suggested for holidays such as Independence Day but on weeks with no holidays, the staff will invite guest speakers or performers or just spruce up the room. In Folsom, at least, I can't imagine a senior who is at all mobile, staying home for his Meals on Wheels meal when he could enjoy the crowd at the Folsom Senior Center.