Hot lunch meals for seniors at 8 city recreation sites suspended starting Monday

Senior hot lunch programs and activities at eight Tucson Parks and Recreation sites have been suspended as a result of actions to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

The suspensions of programs for the elderly are expected to continue through the end of March.

Starting Monday, March 16, about 400 older adults who are registered to receive meals at the centers can pick up frozen meals, said Pima Council on Aging officials Friday.

Meals also can be picked up by the registered seniors March 18, and they will be notified about the schedule in which seven meals will be provided to them for the week, said Lana Baldwin, PCOA’s vice president of philanthropy and communications. Seniors can call their centers for information, or go to covid19.pcoa.org

The recreation centers affected for the hot lunch meals are:

• Archer Neighborhood, 1665 S. La Cholla Blvd.
• Armory Park Senior, 220 S. Fifth Ave.
• El Pueblo Neighborhood, 101 W. Irvington Road.
• El Rio Neighborhood, 1390 W. Speedway.
• Freedom Park Recreation, 5000 E. 29th St.
• Donna Liggins Recreation, 2160 N. Sixth Ave.
• Quincie Douglas Senior, 1575 E. 36th St.
• William Clements, 8155 E. Poinciana Drive.

“Our immediate concern is ensuring the continued provision of nutritious meals to those who rely on community lunch programs for much of their daily food,” said W. Mark Clark, president and chief executive officer of PCOA.

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“We were notified by city parks and recreation about senior programs being closed during a meeting Thursday,” Clark said. “We have worked quickly with our partners at the city of Tucson, the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona and Catholic Community Services to put plans in place for distribution of take-home meals to our community lunch program participants who cannot pick up the meals,” he said.

In addition, 800 people who are homebound and receive five meals a week will now receive seven meals a week during this coronavirus health concern, said Baldwin.

Clark said he and others are working “to expedite emergency funding” and to “relax certain restrictions within the federal Older Americans Act to ensure we can meet the nutrition-related needs of our community’s older adults.”

He said the agency and partners are “urging people to remain calm, prepare, and practice common-sense precautions during these potentially unsettling times. The older adults we serve and those who serve them remain our utmost concern.”

Services for seniors at Pima County Natural Resources, Parks and Recreation centers, Tucson Medical Center for Seniors and at Casa Community Center at La Posada senior community in Green Valley will continue as usual, said Clark.

PCOA is suspending group programs, including classes on exercise, Medicare, caregiver support groups and caregiver training, said Baldwin. Those needing one-on-one service in person or by phone can call 790-7262.