Las Vegas senior centers work to feed hungry, despite being closed

Senior centers around the Las Vegas Valley shuttered by the COVID-19 outbreak are finding ways to continue helping the elderly in this uncertain time.

All of the valley centers announced closures by the middle of March through mid-April at least, including facilities that provide food for seniors as part of their regular programming. That has left seniors feeling “very nervous” about going hungry, said Byron Goynes, program director at the Martin Luther King Jr. Senior Center in North Las Vegas.

“This is a lifeline for a number of our members,” he said. “This is where they come to socialize. This is where they come to unwind. This is their home.”

Nationwide, about 5.5 million people 60 and older — about 7.7 percent of that age group — were food-insecure in 2017, according to data from the nonprofit Feeding America.

COVID-19 has compounded the challenge, since many seniors are trying to avoid going out to places such as grocery stores. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises those 65 and older — who are at high risk for severe complications from the virus — to stay home.

The MLK center closed in early March “out of an abundance of caution,” Goynes said, adding it was a tough decision because “we knew we had that vulnerable population.”

Normally, the center, which is operated by the Economic Opportunity Board of Clark County, serves lunch to an average of 65 to 70 people each weekday. Those 60 and older don’t have to pay, while those 55-59 are asked to donate $3.

After the center closed, staff reached out to the regular clientele to see if they needed meals. About 15 said yes. Of those, most requested home-delivered meals, but several come to the center to pick up food.

The center also distributes bags of groceries from the Three Square food bank on the first and third Thursdays of each month. It’s adding an extra distribution this Friday and will have enough food for about 150 seniors.

Goynes said the center has received about 55 calls about seniors who aren’t regulars but need food assistance. He said food will be set aside for them at Friday’s event.

“It’s not exclusive to our members,” he said. “We’re going to help feed the senior community.”

Here’s a look at what some other senior centers are doing amid the COVID-19 outbreak:

Henderson

Heritage Park Senior Facility and Downtown Senior Center — both operated by the city of Henderson — are closed until at least April 13. They serve residents 50 and older.

The centers normally offer in-person meals five days a week and home-delivered meals through Meals on Wheels. Seniors typically pay $7.50 per meal.

The city has about 410 Meals on Wheels recipients. “It’s essential and absolutely necessary to keep the service,” said Corey Clark, recreation services manager for the city of Henderson.

Meals on Wheels recipients typically are unable to leave their homes except for medical appointments, Clark said, adding, “They usually don’t have family in town who are supporting them.”

The two senior centers typically serve 250 to 450 people in their dining rooms for lunch each day.

After the centers were closed, city employees called all of the seniors who are regularly served. Initially, 60 expressed the need for meals, which employees are delivering to their homes. That number has risen to about 200.

“We continue to hear from people each day that are in a spot where they now need meals,” Clark said.

The city also has delivered bags of donated food to 1,875 seniors at senior housing complexes and has done several door-to-door drop-offs since March 19, Clark said.

The city received donations from restaurants and casinos following Gov. Steve Sisolak’s statewide mandatory shutdown of most nonessential businesses on March 20, but that initial surge has passed.

“Donations really slowed down this week,” Clark said Tuesday.

The city is accepting donations of food, as well as household items such as hand soap, cleaning supplies and toilet paper.

Las Vegas

The city of Las Vegas’ five senior centers don’t offer meals, city spokesman Jace Radke said in a March 26 email to the Review-Journal.

Some of the senior centers have cafes with meals and snacks available to purchase, but all are temporarily closed because of COVID-19.

“Three Square and other local food banks as well as food pantries like SHARE Vegas are assisting with our seniors in need of meals,” Radke said.

Clark County

Clark County has eight senior centers, but only one — the Moapa Valley Recreation Center — offers meals, county spokeswoman Stacey Welling said. The recreation center — managed by United Seniors Inc. — is in Overton, about 65 miles from Las Vegas.

Program director Cindy Marino and three part-time employees start working at 6 a.m. on weekdays to prepare meals for seniors.

Lunch is delivered to about 30 homebound seniors daily, and 55 seniors come to the center to pick up food. Meals are $4 each — a cost that’s subsidized by county, state and federal agencies.

Another county effort: Clark County and community partners announced March 23 the launch of a pilot program, “Delivering With Dignity.” It provides meals to those with underlying medical conditions and the elderly, some of whom are raising their grandchildren.

For the launch, families were identified with help from Las Vegas nonprofit Foster Kindship. Chefs at Honey Salt made 800 meals to deliver to nearly 100 families.

North Las Vegas

The city of North Las Vegas has three senior centers, all within recreation centers: Neighborhood Recreation Center, Silver Mesa Recreation Center and Skyview Multi-Generational Recreation Center (operated by the YMCA).

The centers serve residents 60 and older — although seniors are allowed to bring younger guests — and meals are free.

After the senior centers closed, employees called regulars and asked if they needed meals, city spokeswoman Sandy Lopez wrote in a March 26 email.

None of the seniors at Silver Mesa Recreation Center needed food assistance, Lopez said, but the majority at Neighborhood Recreation Center did.

The city is providing one pickup meal per day — provided by Culinary Academy of Las Vegas — at Neighborhood Recreation Center. About 30 seniors are receiving meals, Lopez said, and no one has requested a home-delivered meal.

Contact Julie Wootton-Greener at jgreener@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2921. Follow @julieswootton on Twitter.