Franklin Senior Center makes bag ‘n grab hot meals amid COVID-19 crisis

Carol Parker works in the kitchen at the Franklin County Senior Citizen Center. The Center is still serving hot meals and putting them in a bag for patrons to pick up until Coronavirus crisis is over.

PRESTON – Amid the many changes caused by COVID-19, the Franklin County Senior Citizen is following other senior facilities and closed their group eating area and have gone with sack lunches.

A tray of cream puffs fresh from the oven set on the counter at the Franklin County Senior Center Thursday.

What used to be the community gathering place has become an empty shell of a building with a kitchen and crew still mixing, baking, boiling and serving.

Yesterday, the Franklin County Senior Citizen Center started the bag ‘n grab system and closed their cafeteria area for all groups.

“On Friday, the sack lunch will include meat loaf, baked potato, fruit, a roll and a chocolate dessert,” said Carol Parker, the site director. “We are doing the same hot meals we did when they ate here for lunch.”

The senior center has served hot meals for their patrons for as long as Carol Parker has been there. They serve meals on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

They are still delivering meals around the county and they have to do it without as many volunteers as they usually have. Parker relies on volunteers to help prepare and serve the lunches.

“We still are using all our volunteers, but the missionaries can’t help right now,” she said. “But we’ve got good volunteers that continue to be a big help.”

Evan Jensen and Wayne Brown put the lunches together and run them out to the people when they come to the door.

Last month the Franklin County Senior Citizen Center sent out 1068 meals to shut-ins.

“As soon as they tell us what they want for a drink we run the lunch to the door,” Parker said.

Bob Purser, the Chairman of the Board of the senior center, said they talked about it as a 10-member board and decided to go with sack lunches.

“Tuesday, we put up the sign in the window letting people know what we are doing,” Purser said. “They can call in and tell us they are coming and will run it out to them.”

COVID-19 has caused the Franklin County Senior Citizen to change some of their actions, but they haven’t stopped providing tasty, warm dishes.

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