Did you know that Aging Best now has a Mobile Senior Center? Aging Best on the M.O.V.E. offers a plethora of services to our seniors in 19 different counties in Missouri. One of my favorite services is an affordable meal for community members that is served fresh from the Mobile Senior Center!

In December, Kristen Moomey and Brenda Doyle from Aging Best reached out to me to share information on their mobile food truck. They were looking for a partner to host their Meals for Seniors that could provide a space for the seniors to eat, visit, and have access to restroom facilities. The Osage County Library was a perfect fit! 

In Osage county we do not have a senior center available for our older adults. Folks meet at local restaurants, gas stations, and shops for coffee or lunch, but they have to pay full price for their meals. The Mobile Senior Center can offer a healthy meal for $5 for those aged 60 years and above or $7 for those under 60. Our first event in January served 30 people in our community! We had a choice of a winter warmer bowl that included fresh chicken, sweet potatoes, chickpeas, walnuts and blueberries or a winter salad that included chicken, kale or spinach, butternut squash, and cherry tomatoes. Both were prepared on the spot in our newly paved parking lot, then myself and two F.O.C.L. (Friends of the Osage County Library) members used carts to deliver the ordered meals to our Woodland Art Gallery where our seniors and friends could sit and enjoy an affordable, healthy meal. Not only did this nourish their bodies, but it nourished their souls, too. Many seniors suffer from loneliness and depression as a result of being isolated from the community. Gathering for a meal with others gives them a sense of well-being and gives them an opportunity to meet new friends.

The Osage County Library was already working with the MU Extension to bring programs to our seniors. Our first Meals for Seniors was planned on a day when Kathy Deeken was starting our Matter of Balance classes. As the word got out, we were able to connect with the Prevention of Blindness Program with Rehabilitation Services for the Blind to offer free vision screening that day. Partnerships are a beautiful thing. We can make each other stronger and connect with our community in a much more impactful way.

If you are in the neighborhood, the Osage County Library’s next Meals for Seniors will be on Monday, March 31 from 11:30 am-1:00 pm. Come out to enjoy a Mediterranean Chicken Bowl and bring a friend!