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Warsaw’s Senior Center/Village Café has resumed indoor dining after more than a year of closure because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The center is welcoming adults 60 and older to dine indoors without masks, according to Margie Hetherington, Coordinator of the center in Harbor Village, 17571 N. Dam Access Road. It’s open from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Lunch is served from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The meals are provided for people 60 and older for a suggested contribution of $5. Updated menus include some new items such chicken Margherita, garlic and herb shrimp, and penne primavera as well as traditional favorites such as meatloaf and fried chicken. Call 660-438-3300 or visit goaging.org to get a current menu.
The center still offers curbside pickup of meals for those who are not ready to dine in. To receive a curbside meal, folks may drive to the back entrance of the center and wait for someone to take their order. The center also delivers about 400 meals weekly to homebound older adults.
The full opening followed a soft opening to test safety protocols; the resumption of indoor dining has been well received.
“It’s been wonderful. It just seemed like people were excited to get back out and see other people and see their friends. People are enjoying a complete meal rather than settling for a sandwich at home or going out to eat,” Hetherington said. “Everybody in the community was asking when we are going to open back up. It’s been exciting to see everybody.”
Regular events at the center include card games at 4 p.m. Tuesdays; bingo on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 9:30 a.m.; a musicians’ jam session at 1 p.m. on Wednesday; and exercise classes five mornings at week. Pilates is at 8:30 a.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays; joint-friendly exercise is at 9 a.m. on Tuesday and Thursdays; and Tai Chi is at 10 a.m. on Wednesdays and Fridays.
Care Manager Dee Locke will be available at the center by appointment. Locke can connect older adults with benefits and answer a variety of questions on topics ranging from Medicare and property tax rebates to housing and family caregiving. To make an appointment, call 660-438-3300, extension 3.
Café guests will notice fewer tables than before and a request for social distancing when they are getting their meals. While the mandatory use of masks and temperature taking have been halted, visitors, staff and volunteers still will be requested to answer health questions about COVID-19 exposure or symptoms.
Staff and volunteers will be required to wear masks while clients are in the building. Home-delivered meal drivers will be required to wear masks, sanitize hands between clients, and stay socially distanced during the delivery of meals.