Photos by Rebecca Wilkowski“The program is basically run by them [the seniors], we just facilitate their needs,” said Edward Hatter, the Nabe’s Director. March 2008Senior Lunch Program a Long-Standing Community HitBy Kerry FleisherProject Open Hand staff member Dolores Maghari quickly moves through the Potrero Hill Neighborhood House – known locally as the “Nabe” – distributing green salads. Today’s senior lunch menu is savory roast turkey with sage gravy and Maghari, along with a handful of volunteers in sharp little chef hats, must start scooping and plopping the candied yam beside the peas and pearl onions on dozens of plates. After six years working for Project Open Hand, a government-funded food program for seniors, Maghari knows that the candied yam will be a surefire crowd pleaser with some regulars. Candied or not, the diners are a dedicated lot. “I come every day, no matter what the food is,” said Jess Mavon, a regular attendee at the Senior Lunch Program, or “Senior Nutrition Project,” one of the Nabe’s longest-running community programs. Like many of his senior peers, Mavon takes the 53 bus to a quiet back room to feast on his virtually free meal, almost every week day, from 11:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.. A sign posted at the front of the room requests a modest dollar donation and a signature in exchange for a sumptuous plate of food. Julie Wasem, Project Open Hand’s Director of Senior Services, says that the government requires signatures for reimbursement purposes. Project Open Hand was launched more than two decades ago as a pro bono service that provided people living with HIV/AIDS with free meals, and eventually expanded to serve seniors and homebound citizens. “The program is basically run by them [the seniors], we just facilitate their needs,” said Edward Hatter, the Nabe’s Director. “Project Open Hand is very flexible across the board, the staff is well-trained and the volunteers are real troopers.”
As in any dining hall or restaurant, conversation frequently comes along with the food. One gentleman is pronouncing on Olivia Hussey, the actress who played Juliet in Zeffirelli’s 1968 version of Romeo and Juliet, and who had appeared at the Castro Theater on Valentine’s Day. “Did you know she was married to Dean Martin?” someone quipped. “No way!” said another. This table, according to an anonymous source, is known for its “lively conversation.” The lunch companions often argue, but they unanimously agree about one thing: “The food is delicious.” Whether feasting on baked herb salmon, thyme roasted chicken or pork chop with rosemary gravy, the quality of the food is as consistent as the seniors’ desire to watch game shows on television while they eat. “They always request a game show,” said Maghari, with a quick, ephemeral smile. And the seniors often request Maghari. As she quickly cuts chocolate cake into prodigious chunks, she’s blissfully unaware that the seniors have a similar surprise in store. They have prepared a going-away party for her, to celebrate her recent citizenship and to wish her farewell on her one month vacation. Other tables near the television are more subdued, with women sporting mesh hats curled over the green vinyl tablecloths, patiently working through their meal. There are several empty chairs scattered about the tables. “We need more people,” said one senior. Hatter agreed. “Our population has dwindled with the younger generations moving to the Hill,” he said. Hatter noted that early morning activities have been a great way to get seniors into the building and increase lunch participation, particularly since senior citizens are early risers. He’s tried to arrange a Tai Chi class for seniors in the mornings, and a senior development program runs simultaneously in the auditorium during lunch hours. The word on the street is that early-morning bingo draws the big crowds. For many, the lunch provided by Project Open Hand is incentive enough to come to the Nabe. Project Open Hand serves two vegetables, milk, and fruit at every meal. After the menu is approved by a dietician, a pamphlet with nutritional facts is developed and distributed. While many of the diners appreciate the program’s health benefits, others are attracted for less scientifically-based reasons. “I come because the food is made with love,” said one senior as he strolled out the door.
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