As noon comes around and more attendees arrive for the Senior Nutrition Program lunch at the Community Center on Wednesday, April 11, Greenbelt resident Linda Martin remarks, “They’ve been coming a long time, too.” There is a sense of community among the regulars at these lunches, which take place Monday through Friday at the Community Center. Seniors set their belongings on a table and walk to the lunch counter to pick up a tray of the day’s lunch. A box of condiments sits on one of the tables for diners to add their own flavors to the meals. One attendee sets a portable radio on the windowsill, adding quiet music in the background of ongoing table conversations.
Socialization is the big key of the program, according to Rebekah Sutfin, the therapeutic recreation supervisor for Greenbelt Department of Recreation and Parks. It’s held in the only room in the Center with round tables. The meal program is one of the affordable meal options available to seniors (ages 60 and above) in Greenbelt. Requiring only a reservation at least two days in advance and a requested meal donation of $3 for each lunch, seniors are guaranteed a hot meal. The other program, Meals on Wheels of College Park (MOW), provides three home-delivered meals Monday through Friday to seniors for $5 daily.
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