Monticello Senior Dining welcomes seniors, encourages more to come

     In mid-March, the Jones County Senior Dining site in Monticello opened for the year. The meals are served in the basement of St. Matthew Lutheran Church, located at 226 N. Cedar St.

   “They’re thrilled to have us,” praised Senior Dining Director Lisa Tallman, who also oversees the Anamosa site. “St. Matthew is not charging us; they donated the space.”

   After months of not having a location to serve seniors in Monticello and not being able to hire a site manager, Tallman said it’s nice to have people back again.

   Serving as site manager is Mareda Pierce of Monticello.

   “We’re having a lot of fun,” offered Pierce. “The food is always good.”

   Three times a month the group plays BINGO, with Pennington Square Assisted Living and Above & Beyond Home Health and Hospice assisting. They put puzzles together, courtesy of the Monticello Public Library’s puzzle stash. They also spend time socializing and learning to play different card games.

   Pierce said the last Tuesday of every month, the seniors finish their lunch and hurry off to the library for Senior Game Day. They then bring what they learned back to Senior Dining and teach others.

   Pierce was looking for a job in the community when she saw Senior Dining was hiring. With experience working with the older people and in the food industry, this was the perfect option. Plus, this schedule also allows Pierce to take care of her other duties, including teaching religious education at Sacred Heart.

   Her connection with the Catholic church prompted students to make Easter and May Day baskets for the diners.

   While meals are served at St. Matthew, they are prepared in advance at Senior Dining in Anamosa. Pierce shows up in Anamosa around 10 a.m. to pick up her meal count for the day.

   Right now, the Monticello site is averaging about 10 seniors per meal. Typically, that was between 25 and 30.

   “It’s slowly rising,” Tallman said of the numbers. “We just need to get the word out more.”

   Anyone who wishes to join the diners for lunch must make reservations in advance by calling the Anamosa site at 319-462-4484.

   Pierce said she only brings enough food for those who called in advance. So if diners just show up for lunch, there may not be enough to go around.

   “No extra food is stored or prepared at St. Matthew,” explained Pierce.

   There is a suggested $5 contribution toward each meal, and you must be 60 or older to take part.

   The site is open from roughly 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Diners usually eat around 11:30 a.m.

   St. Matthew offers a huge dining area, so there is always room for more seniors. For those requiring assistance into the basement, there is a set of short steps down or a small elevator is available for use as well.

   “We’re so grateful to St. Matthew Church for sharing their facility,” thanked Pierce.

   “The church always makes sure we’re doing OK or asks if we need anything,” added Tallman of the care Senior Dining is receiving.

   Senior Dining is supported by federal, state, and local funding. They also get $10,000 a year from the county. Each city in Jones County contributes a percentage based on how many meals are served in that community.

   “We don’t want to be a burden to the county,” Tallman said of being a county department, though operating as a non-profit.

   Heritage Area Agency on Aging also financially supports the program. In fact, they are kicking in $12,000 for new kitchen equipment at the Anamosa dining site.

   With the cost of food and supplies skyrocketing, Tallman has yet to adjust the cost per meal, knowing many of the seniors are on a fixed income.

   Since COVID, Tallman feels some older folks are still either apprehensive about returning to Senior Dining or have resorted to home-delivered meals.

   “Being shut in really took a toll on their stress levels,” Tallman said. “It impacted their health and mental wellbeing. They lost some of their independence.”

   The Monticello site is wanting to bring in entertainment, guest speakers, and musicians to entertain throughout the months. To offer your assistance, contact Tallman or Pierce at 319-462-4484.