Senior services are vital to communitySenior services are vital to communityFebruary 7, 2003
A year and a half ago, I would have been the first to tell you that I knew nothing about senior citizens and the services that are available to them in Oakley. My only exposure to seniors was when my father turned 65 two years ago. Of course, if you were to call him a senior citizen he would probably deck you, so you see I had no exposure to seniors.
Then my editor approached me about doing some writing for our sister paper, the Ledger-Dispatch, and I began writing senior stories every other week and I can tell you it has been quite an education.
I was pulled into a world where I was learning about the lives of people who have lived 30, 40 and even 60 years longer than I have. Suddenly, turning 40 last March wasn't really a big deal at all. OK, maybe a little bit of a big deal. The point is, the stories that these people can tell you about life is incredible, but there have also been tales about loneliness and of needs that most of us from younger generations can't even imagine.
Many times I have heard from people who are in their late 80s and 90s and their families are gone. Not just their husbands or wives and siblings, but there are times when even their children have passed on and they are alone in the world.
For the most part, many of those that I have spoken with are the ones who take advantage of programs that local senior and community centers offer. Most of the programs are offered in Antioch, Pittsburg and Brentwood.
Through the county, Oakley has been able to at least offer a lunch program for the past 20 years, but now with the governor's proposed budget cuts this program is in danger. The program is the Oakley Contra Costa Cafe, located on Rosemary Lane, which offers hot lunches to seniors. There is a suggested donation of $1.75 to $2 per lunch, but it is available for free for those who cannot afford it.
Unfortunately, the program had to close down a couple of weeks ago because it didn't have a manager to oversee the local location. That was a big enough problem on its own, but then the state announced possible budget cuts to cities and counties. So instead of just closing for a short time until they found a new manager, the program has been put on hold until the county learns what it needs to do to reorganize its budget.
According to the CC Cafe program director, Liz Vargas, this closure is only temporary and the county has every intention of reopening the program as soon as possible, but there is no firm date as to when the program will start up again. The budget cuts will not only affect Oakley. There are 21 CC Cafes in Contra Costa County and all will have to be reorganized to keep the program running as a whole.
For Oakley, this location was not just a place where people can go to get a free hot, nutritious meal. It is also a place where seniors could go to have some company and spend an hour or so with people of their own age and share their own interests. A place like that is sorely missing in Oakley. While programs for youths are important for their development, this kind of program is important for life for these seniors.
So many times when I have interviewed seniors, the consensus has been that activities with other people is what helps to keep them healthy and alive. That is one of the reasons why the state has always worked to fund programs such as this one. Hopefully the state's budget will allow this program to continue. If not, the county will have to look to other sources to keep the program running.
In the meantime, for seniors who usually go to the Oakley CC Cafe, there are other programs available. Just down the street on O'Hara Avenue, St. Anthony's Church runs a Loaves and Fishes program from 11:30 a.m. to 1:25 p.m. This program is free to anyone, not just seniors, who needs a hot lunch. The same Loaves and Fishes program is also available at Live Oak Community Church on the corner of Live Oak Avenue and Main Street, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:15 p.m.
For those who don't drive, St. Anthony's also offers seniors a brown bag lunch service during the week that can be delivered to your home.
Roni Gehlke's column on life in Oakley appears each week in the Brentwood News.
Distributed by the Contra Costa Times