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| Help support this exciting new project and make your tax-deductible donation now using our secure online services through PayPal: |
Full Bellies Make For Happy, Healthy Hearts
For the last 33 years Central Oregon Council on Aging has worked to meet the
independent living needs of local seniors. One important aspect of services offered is
the senior nutrition program. In just the past year COCOA has provided healthful hot
meals, every day of the week, to more than 4,000 individuals in the tri-county area.
Meals are served at local senior centers and meal sites and for those who may not be
able to leave their homes, meals are delivered by a tireless corp of volunteers.
Proper nutrition is important for people of all ages, and seniors are no exception.
Hunger can strike at any age, but many people are not aware of the devastating
effects it can have on our senior citizens. Seniors who experience hunger are at risk
for serious health problems. Hunger can be life threatening by increasing the risk for
stroke, prolonging recovery from illness, extending hospital stays, limiting the effects
of prescription drugs, decreasing resistance to infection and even increasing the
occurrence of depression and isolation.
COCOA is taking a pro-active approach to be ready to serve an increased demand
for meals, in an economic time when funding is static and in some cases, decreasing.
Our goal with a centralized kitchen is to continue to provide hot meals five days a
week and continue our policy of providing food for every senior under our program,
with no waiting lists.
A Little Background
Meals for COCOA’s Madras, Redmond and Sister’s meal sites have been prepared at
the Redmond Senior Center kitchen for some time, while a food catering company
has traditionally provided meals for the outlying locations, as those sites lack
adequate kitchen facilities. Over the years it has become apparent that one good way
to cut costs, eliminate food waste, control and better utilize food inventories, would be
for trained COCOA staff to prepare food at one localized kitchen and then transport
that food to meal sites. The Centralized Kitchen Project, scheduled to launch in
February 2009 fulfills that need, while providing better service to clients at the same
time.
Recognizing that our highly qualified and experienced Redmond Senior Center staff
have successfully prepared meals for many years, plans for a kitchen expansion
project got underway in the spring of 2007. Funding for the project was to come
primarily out of reserves from a larger senior center remodel effort which began four
years previous. In the first experimental phase of the centralized kitchen project
meal prep for the Madras site began that August. Quickly realizing a success with the
first phase, staff became ever more convinced of the necessity of realizing the dream
of fully functioning centralized kitchen.
The actual kitchen renovation began in November of 2007. To prepare for the
increased demands on the facility, the kitchen was remodeled to include a new double
convection oven and a holding oven. They also purchased food transport carriers
both hot and cold, and miscellaneous pots and pans, sheet pans, and utensils, all
geared toward facilitating food preparation on a larger scale. A new walk-in
refrigerator/freezer was soon installed. At that time, meals for all six meal sites, as
well as food for all Meals on Wheels clients was prepared at the Redmond Senior
Center’s new kitchen, leaving just one aspect of the project remaining to be fulfilled –
adequate and efficient transportation of the prepared food to the outlying meal sites.
Getting Ready for the Big Day
With most of the plans underway, attention was now focused on transportation.
Currently, the staff is utilizing an older model Dial-a-Ride van to transport food to
Sisters and Madras. With prepared meals still needing to be transported to all of the
other sites, COCOA is painfully in need of a new vehicle to cover deliveries in
opposite direction; Deschutes County - Bend and La Pine. Donations for this project
have thankfully been pouring in since last November, when the agency mailed out
appeals to the community. With these funds, combined with a recent $5,000 grant
received from the Chambers Family Foundation of Eugene, staff is hoping to
purchasing a new delivery van.
At some point in the near future, the hope is to obtain one additional fuel efficient van
for the Madras and Sister’s transports, potentially helping to save more dollars spent
in gas and upkeep now spent on the older model Dial-a-Ride van, which will be used
in the meantime.
For more information about the Centralized Kitchen Project contact Tom Azbell at
541-548-6325 or Email Tom. If you would like to make a donation to this important
and timely project use our secure online donation services through Paypal, or mail
your check to COCOA, 1135 SW Highland Ave., Redmond, OR 97756. Be sure to note
that your donation is earmarked for the Centralized Kitchen Project.
Thank you!
For the last 33 years Central Oregon Council on Aging has worked to meet the
independent living needs of local seniors. One important aspect of services offered is
the senior nutrition program. In just the past year COCOA has provided healthful hot
meals, every day of the week, to more than 4,000 individuals in the tri-county area.
Meals are served at local senior centers and meal sites and for those who may not be
able to leave their homes, meals are delivered by a tireless corp of volunteers.
Proper nutrition is important for people of all ages, and seniors are no exception.
Hunger can strike at any age, but many people are not aware of the devastating
effects it can have on our senior citizens. Seniors who experience hunger are at risk
for serious health problems. Hunger can be life threatening by increasing the risk for
stroke, prolonging recovery from illness, extending hospital stays, limiting the effects
of prescription drugs, decreasing resistance to infection and even increasing the
occurrence of depression and isolation.
COCOA is taking a pro-active approach to be ready to serve an increased demand
for meals, in an economic time when funding is static and in some cases, decreasing.
Our goal with a centralized kitchen is to continue to provide hot meals five days a
week and continue our policy of providing food for every senior under our program,
with no waiting lists.
A Little Background
Meals for COCOA’s Madras, Redmond and Sister’s meal sites have been prepared at
the Redmond Senior Center kitchen for some time, while a food catering company
has traditionally provided meals for the outlying locations, as those sites lack
adequate kitchen facilities. Over the years it has become apparent that one good way
to cut costs, eliminate food waste, control and better utilize food inventories, would be
for trained COCOA staff to prepare food at one localized kitchen and then transport
that food to meal sites. The Centralized Kitchen Project, scheduled to launch in
February 2009 fulfills that need, while providing better service to clients at the same
time.
Recognizing that our highly qualified and experienced Redmond Senior Center staff
have successfully prepared meals for many years, plans for a kitchen expansion
project got underway in the spring of 2007. Funding for the project was to come
primarily out of reserves from a larger senior center remodel effort which began four
years previous. In the first experimental phase of the centralized kitchen project
meal prep for the Madras site began that August. Quickly realizing a success with the
first phase, staff became ever more convinced of the necessity of realizing the dream
of fully functioning centralized kitchen.
The actual kitchen renovation began in November of 2007. To prepare for the
increased demands on the facility, the kitchen was remodeled to include a new double
convection oven and a holding oven. They also purchased food transport carriers
both hot and cold, and miscellaneous pots and pans, sheet pans, and utensils, all
geared toward facilitating food preparation on a larger scale. A new walk-in
refrigerator/freezer was soon installed. At that time, meals for all six meal sites, as
well as food for all Meals on Wheels clients was prepared at the Redmond Senior
Center’s new kitchen, leaving just one aspect of the project remaining to be fulfilled –
adequate and efficient transportation of the prepared food to the outlying meal sites.
Getting Ready for the Big Day
With most of the plans underway, attention was now focused on transportation.
Currently, the staff is utilizing an older model Dial-a-Ride van to transport food to
Sisters and Madras. With prepared meals still needing to be transported to all of the
other sites, COCOA is painfully in need of a new vehicle to cover deliveries in
opposite direction; Deschutes County - Bend and La Pine. Donations for this project
have thankfully been pouring in since last November, when the agency mailed out
appeals to the community. With these funds, combined with a recent $5,000 grant
received from the Chambers Family Foundation of Eugene, staff is hoping to
purchasing a new delivery van.
At some point in the near future, the hope is to obtain one additional fuel efficient van
for the Madras and Sister’s transports, potentially helping to save more dollars spent
in gas and upkeep now spent on the older model Dial-a-Ride van, which will be used
in the meantime.
For more information about the Centralized Kitchen Project contact Tom Azbell at
541-548-6325 or Email Tom. If you would like to make a donation to this important
and timely project use our secure online donation services through Paypal, or mail
your check to COCOA, 1135 SW Highland Ave., Redmond, OR 97756. Be sure to note
that your donation is earmarked for the Centralized Kitchen Project.
Thank you!
| COCOA's Centralized Kitchen Project Gets underway in 2009 |
An Exciting Opportunity for Local Businesses Are you a local business owner, looking for a good way to get your business noticed and your name out into the community? Ask about our Van Sponsorship Program today! As a van sponsor your company logo, name and service information will be printed directly onto the food delivery van where it will be visible all across the tri-county area, as it makes it way to senior centers, meal site and food pick-up locations. Call Tom Azbell at 541-548-6325 for more information. |
Or mail your check to:
COCOA, 1135 SW Highland Ave.,
Redmond, OR 97756.
Be sure to indicate that your
donation is earmarked for the
Centralized Kitchen Project.
Thank You!
COCOA, 1135 SW Highland Ave.,
Redmond, OR 97756.
Be sure to indicate that your
donation is earmarked for the
Centralized Kitchen Project.
Thank You!