CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The Highlands Senior Service Center is known for a wide array of services, including those focusing on nutrition.
In recent years, the center hasn't just been a place for providing meals for seniors, but for growing the food to serve.
The fruits of the Highlands Senior Service Center's ongoing labors are supplementing the Meals on Wheels program thanks to the produce from the seniors' community garden.
Executive Director Linda Burton said from July 2013 to June 2014, a total of 8,472 pounds of organic produce was harvested.
“It's helping us survive. With the cost of food going up, it becomes more and more challenging everyday,” Burton said.
The garden project was kick-started in 2010 with a $40,000 allocation by the Lake County Board of Supervisors, approved unanimously, and at the request of District 2 Supervisor Jeff Smith.
“Our investment there really paid off,” Smith said. “The amount of produce they harvested this year amounts to $24,046.49 in produce.”
The senior garden was a dream for 12 years before it became a reality.
Former Clearlake Councilman Curt Giambruno said that a community garden and a tranquil place to relax were two of the four desires for development of the community center.
“The second item was a garden for seniors to care for. That, over the years, had been totally forgotten about because there was never any money; we could never get any grant money; we could never complete the building,” Giambruno said.
“Jeff never forgot. In 12 years, he never forgot. He tried and tried to get us the money and it finally came through and I’m very, very appreciative. When we started this I was not a senior. When we're completing it, I'm now a senior,” Giambruno said when the senior garden was complete.
Early obstacles in the project included obtaining a water source. Professional volunteers from the community assisted locating a well near the garden area but it was unclear whose property housed it.
Smith said that an agreement was made with the adjoining property owner, who had said he was agreeable with a joint usage regardless of whose property the well was on, which ultimately saved surveyor costs.
Smith said initial expenses of the project included well pump, tank, control and main pipes, $13,700; electrical wiring for well, $1,000; PVC for irrigation, $2,500; fencing for gardens, $9,000; gates, $1,000; topsoil for sod, $3,300, sod, $5,400; concrete, $1,800; and professional services (electrical installation), $2,300.
Smith said the immediate plan for the garden includes a gazebo and a barbecue area, which have been completed.
Additional volunteers and assistance are needed as the center takes on plans for developing a section for the public community garden.
Burton said individual plots will be 10-feet by 10-feet, available to all citizens for annual fee of $60.
She said priority will be given to disabled and low-income seniors.
A wide variety of services
Burton said the center fielded more than 2,500 calls from seniors seeking assistance in the past year.
“A lot of people don't know what kind of resources are available to them. The Highlands Senior Service Center is a wonderful starting point when people are looking for information in order to get the care they need,” Burton said. “If we can't help them directly, we connect them with someone who can.”
Among the center's many services is its well-known Meals on Wheels program, which Burton said delivers more than 100 meals daily to homebound seniors in the Clearlake, Clearlake Park and Lower Lake areas.
Hot meals are delivered to eligible seniors 60 years and older, Monday through Friday and frozen meals are provided for weekends and holidays.
“We rely heavily on the community's support to continue to provide this much-needed service to our seniors,” Burton said. “Meals on Wheels not only promotes better health through improved nutrition, it reduces the isolation experienced by many seniors. Our meals are provided on a donation basis and no senior can be denied services because their inability or willingness to donate.”
“Our most important services are the congregated dining and Meals-On-Wheels programs,” Betty Votaw, president of the center's board of directors, said. “These programs provide nutritious, homemade meals, designed by our staff to meet federal guidelines for vitamins and caloric intake, and are approved by a registered dietitian.”
According to Burton, more than 28,000 meals were home-delivered throughout the past fiscal year and nearly 9,000 meals were served in the center's dining room.
She said it costs approximately $8 to purchase, prepare and deliver each meal. The average donations from each congregated meal was $1.88 and average donation from Meals on Wheels clients was 77 cents.
“The government reimbursement for our programs is only 53 cents per meal. With continuing funding cuts, the Highlands Senior Service Center is struggling to continue to provide our current level of service to our seniors,” she said.
Highlands Senior Service Center provides for a variety of services and programs, with an estimated 45,900 seniors attending activities at the center in past year.
Burton said many clients access services on daily basis while others attend weekly and monthly programs.
Then, she said, there are those who come to the center once a year for the flu shot clinics.
A selection of diverse exercise programs are provided by the center each week, from Tai Chi classes designed by the Arthritis Foundation, to Zumba and line dancing, according to Burton.
“There are quite a few people in each one of the classes. We have a good variety of programs and there is something available for every activity level,” Burton said. “Some seniors may not be able to get out of a wheelchair while others enjoy our advanced classes. It depends on how physically fit someone is. We have classes for every fitness level.”
Thanks to community partnerships, the center is host to a variety of beneficial programs as well.
Through the Commodities Supplemental Food Program, Burton said between 200 to 300, 40-pound boxes of food are given to eligible seniors each month.
“It's pretty good stuff, actually,” she said.
Burton said to be eligible for monthly distribution events, seniors must meet low income requirements and register through the commodities program, which can be contacted at 707-523-7900.
Seminars designed to teach seniors how to protect themselves against many different types of financial abuse, alternating topic with basic budgeting to help seniors manage their money; are provided monthly through another community-partnership with Westamerica Bank.
The “Senior Guard” program addresses identity theft and includes real-life examples with simple steps to prevent abuse.
Additionally, the American Association of Retired Persons provides tax assistance to seniors at the center as well as safe driving courses while Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program takes appointments for insurance counseling.
Support groups for healthy living and low vision and those for the caregiver also are offered at the senior center. Redwood Caregiver Resource Center provides monthly workshops.
Burton said participants in the groups often are exclusive caregivers, in that they provide for a single patient, who is often a family member, perhaps with dementia or some other brain impairment.
“Their lives revolve around taking care of one person,” Burton said. “These groups really do help you understand that you do care for someone with dementia or other brain impairment differently than you do for someone without. They teach you techniques to better care for your loved ones.”
It's not all business at the center, though.
Highlands Senior Service Center entertained seniors in the past year with performances by the “Angel Lights and Harmony Boys. Monthly birthday luncheons are a lot of fun, too, Burton said.
“We have a really nice meal and try to have a party atmosphere. Sometimes we have music and we sing 'Happy Birthday.' Everybody really enjoys it,” she said. “A lot of these seniors do not have any family or friends who call them to wish them a 'happy birthday' except the Highlands Senior Service Center. It really helps remove that isolated feeling that affects so many seniors.”
For more information regarding services and/or how to contribute to the community garden project, contact the Highlands Senior Service Center at 707-994-3051.
Email Denise Rockenstein at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .