EUGENE – Lane Council of Governments (LCOG) has received a $10,000 grant from The Roadhouse Foundation to support its rural congregate Senior Meals Program sites.

The Senior Meals Program in LCOG’s Senior & Disability Services division operates nine congregate meal sites throughout Lane County called Café 60.

They are in Cottage Grove, Creswell, Springfield, Eugene, Florence, Junction City, Oakridge, Coburg, and Veneta. The money for this grant will fund specifically the sites outside of Eugene and Springfield.

“This generous award … will make a significant impact for our consumers in rural communities,” said Stephanie Sheelar, LCOG deputy director of Senior & Disability Services.

Café 60 Dining Room are congregate settings designed to provide a welcoming and pleasant atmosphere where people aged 60 and older and their spouses can gather for a meal. Older adults can enjoy meeting new people, forming friendships, and gaining support by coming together for meals regularly.

Balanced meals and social contact provide positive motivation for self-care for seniors who often eat poorly on their own and can become lonely and depressed in isolation. Congregate sites offer nutrition education and access to other aging services and information.

The nutrition program is more than just a meal – its purpose is to nourish the whole person.

To be eligible to dine with them, you must be 60 years old and over, and their spouses, regardless of age. Individuals with disabilities, regardless of age, who reside with an accompanying older adult who is eligible under the Older Americans Act and Cresview Villa residents ages 18-59 are also eligible.

LCOG Senior & Disability Services’ nutrition wellness program operates nine Café 60 dining rooms and delivers Meals on Wheels throughout Lane County.

Both programs serve adults age 60 and older and their spouses, regardless of their income. More info: lcog-or.gov/sdslane/page/senior-meals-program.