A new chef rolls out great Meals on Wheels, to clients’ delight

Written by Jeanne Davant

Rocky Mountain Healthcare Services has taken over food preparation for Silver Key Senior Services’ Meals on Wheels program, and clients couldn’t be more pleased.

“The seniors have been really blown away,” said Lorri Orwig, Director of Research Development for Silver Key. “They were thrilled to have desserts back, which formerly were not included in the price. People have been telling their friends and neighbors about it. That is reflected in numbers that continue to increase.”

And it’s not just the food they love.

Community volunteers who deliver the meals offer companionship, informal wellness checks and respite for caregivers who can’t always meet their loved ones for midday meals.

Meal preparation by Rocky Mountain Healthcare Services started Nov. 1, after Silver Key decided to switch from an outsourced meal provider to preparing meals in house. Chef Patrick Robinson, formerly of the Steaksmith, oversees the preparation of 850 high-quality, nutritious meals each week for seniors in the program.

“One of the things I really respect about Patrick is that he understands food is more than just food,” says Wendy Farr, Community Outreach and Marketing Specialist for the PACE program. “He understands that he has a real purpose.”

Read more: A new chef rolls out great Meals on Wheels, to clients’ delight

Senior job program helps people 55 and older find work

Written by Jeanne Davant

Hundreds of older folks in the Pikes Peak region are working today thanks to AARP’s Senior Community Service Employment Program.

One of them is Holly Espinoza, 57, who for 37 years has enjoyed her jobs in schools and child care centers.

“Children are the most important thing,” she says. “They need to be put first, because they’re the future of our country and the world.”

About two years ago, Espinoza, then 55, was laid off from her job at a child care center and wasn’t able to find another position.

Her older sister suggested that she check out the resources at the Pikes Peak Workforce Center.

“I went to a meeting at the Workforce Center, and I’m so glad I did,” Espinoza says.

  The Workforce Center connected her with the Senior Community Service Employment Program, which is administered locally by AARP.

After some training and counseling at both centers, Espinoza, now 57, was hired at McCoy & Littlejohn Center, where she happily teaches pre-kindergarten classes and also works with school-age kids.

Read more: Senior job program helps people 55 and older find work