Quiet Support for Arnold's Seniors, People with Disabilities

Work has increased 33 percent, since September, for three women serving meals to Arnold elderly residents. The greatest difficulty, however, is becoming too emotionally attached to the people they see daily.

“You wonder how people are doing when they don’t come in for a meal,” said Sandy Whitney, a cook and server for the Mid-East Area Agency on Aging’s Arnold Senior Center located at the Arnold Recreation Center, 1695 Missouri State Road.

The agency is a non-profit organization headquartered in Manchester and serves seniors in Jefferson, Franklin, St. Charles and St. Louis counties.

Meals are free to people older than 60 years or who have a disability.

Whitney and co-worker Amy Roth work in a kitchen a few steps away from the recreation center’s registration desk on the first floor.

They prepare about 100 meals daily Monday through Friday. Their workday starts at about 7 a.m. and ends at about 3 p.m.

Drivers deliver meals to the city’s homebound residents. Whitney and Roth serve meals to elderly people who travel to the center.

Wednesdays and Fridays are the busy days, Whitney said. “It’s really busy when we have bingo or card games.”

Whitney said she and Roth will serve twice as many meals on Mothers’ Day.  The recreation center will open a second room to handle all the diners. Moms, their married children and grandchildren all dine at the center.

“Usually there are three of us serving or cooking here,” Roth said about their regular routine.

Senior Center Administrator Paula Patterson said people ages 60 or older, and people with disabilities, eat free. 

Sometimes Arnold’s seniors donate $3.25 for each meal, Patterson said. Younger diners or people without disabilities must pay $6.25 for their meals.

A nutritionist makes the meals are low salt, low sugar and use whole-wheat products, Patterson said.

“The mistake is thinking that this program is only for older people,” Patterson said. Caregivers or spouses of people eligible for the free meals can also enjoy the food.

“You can’t feed one person and not feed the other,” Patterson said.

Last year she visited a married couple who had only two cans of food and were days away from being homeless. The husband and wife household lost one-income when the woman fell ill and became unable to work.

Patterson offered the people food and found other non-profits and agencies able to help them.

Volunteer drivers visit with residents while delivering the meals, Patterson said. They have called for an ambulance after finding people who could not breathe. Patterson has found medication for diabetics.

“And the need has grown quickly,” Patterson said. She and her staff feed about 100 people daily. Last September, they served about 75 people each day.

To learn more about the Mid-East Area Agency on Aging in Arnold call 636-296-0475 or go to www.mid-eastaaa.org.

The De Soto center is at Knights of Columbus Hall, 13227 State Road E, 636-586-8833.

The High Ridge Senior Center is at 2800 Community Drive, 636-677-4578.