LANSING, NY (607NewsNow) — Starting October 23, New York State residents age 60 and older will have a new opportunity to enjoy a meal through a new Community Dining site operated by Foodnet Meals on Wheels in partnership with Cayuga Health.
The new dining site will have lunches held every Thursday in Cayuga Health’s space near the food court in the former Sears location at the Shops at Ithaca Mall. Doors open at 11 a.m., with the meal served from 12 to 12:30 p.m. While there is no charge for the meal, voluntary and confidential contributions are encouraged to help keep the program sustainable. Funding is provided by the Tompkins County Office for the Aging (COFA), the New York State Office for the Aging (NYSOFA), the Department of Human and Health Services (DHHS), and generous community donors.
Community Dining is a part of the Tompkins County Office for the Aging’s Senior Nutrition Program, with Foodnet Meals on Wheels being the contractor that operates the program. Offering nutrition education and the opportunity for nutrition counseling, presentations on fall prevention, fraud prevention, how to use seasonal foods, how to cook for a low sodium diet, and more, the program aims at not only feeding older adults in the community but also gives them resources that improve other aspects of their life as well.
Community Dining programs like this one help address issues of food insecurity and social isolation among older adults. According to COFA’s 2023 survey of Tompkins County, residents age 60 and older:
-39% live alone
-37% reported feeling lonely or isolated
-33% struggled to maintain a healthy diet
-30% experienced depression
-23% have problems performing regular activities like eating and preparing meals
-12% don’t have enough food to eat
Foodnet’s own data shows that 68% of its clients live alone, underscoring the importance of opportunities for social connection and shared meals.
“Being able to work with the COFA, NYSOFA, DHHS, and Cayuga Health allows us to take the food where the people are. We all have the same goal of keeping people healthy and helping older adults in the community get what they need. Working with Cayuga Health and having another space people can turn to when they need it will help us follow through on that goal,” said Foodnet Meals on Wheels Executive Director Aly Evans.
In addition to the new Cayuga Health location, Community Dining sites also operate at Titus Towers in Ithaca (Monday–Friday) and at the Slaterville Volunteer Fire Company in Slaterville Springs (Tuesdays). Advanced registration is required by calling 607-266-9553 by noon the day prior to the meal. Visit the Foodnet Meals on Wheels website for more information.
