Free 'lunch and learn' meals offer senior citizens food for the body and the mind

Lunch was half an hour away, but seats were already filling up in the dining room at Congregation Gates of Prayer synagogue in Metairie.

About three dozen retired people chattered at cloth-covered round tables, trading smartphones to admire photos of grandchildren. They had gathered for the monthly senior "lunch and learn" outreach luncheons, hosted by the synagogue. 

Quiet settled over the group as Janie Glade, the executive director of the Gladewaves Foundation, began the proceedings with a blessing on the food. "We are always grateful," Glade said.

The stuffed bell peppers, steamed cauliflower and spinach salad were welcome, provided by Gladewaves and dished up out of large aluminum pans by a Gladewaves employee. As they sampled the meal, diners listened attentively to a presentation on health and nutrition for seniors. Once it was over, they went back to socializing with their friends. 

"I enjoy the company," said Pat Francois, 85, who learned about the luncheon several years ago at the Metairie Senior Center and now attends almost every month. "I enjoy the speakers."

According to the World Population Review, nearly 17 % of Louisiana's residents, or almost 1 in seven people, are over 65. According to the World Health Organization, social engagement is one of the most important components of overall well-being for the elderly.

Studies indicate that for seniors, diseases, mortality and quality of life are related to social participation, according to the website for the NIH's National Center for Biotechnology Information. Social participation includes everything from informal interactions to board games, puzzles and meals with friends.

Glade has seen the benefits of social engagement for seniors first hand-hand.

"The mental stimulation, the socialization, these things are just as important, if not more important, than the meal," she said.

Lectures on health, culture 

At the Metairie luncheon, Leslyn Lorelli, a representative of Humana, led a discussion on nutrition and aging. She gave out stress balls and clear bags that could help seniors organize their medicine — or double as a security-approved tote for a Saints game, she pointed out.

The "lunch and learn" program includes a lecture series with topics that range from insurance to books, culture and science, or health, as at the Metairie event. For the holidays, seniors might show up in "ugly sweaters," and at some locations, Mardi Gras brings a spirited Black Masking Indian performance.

Luncheons are hosted at different houses of worship scattered around metro New Orleans from August through May. Between 100 and 200 seniors are served every month at sites in Central City New Orleans, Norco and Algiers as well as Metairie, Glade said. 

At St. Philip's Episcopal Church in Algiers, the Rev. Stephen Craft, the rector, says that although at first the luncheons were mainly attended by church members, word spread and now most of the diners are from the surrounding community. 

"It's not just to get them a meal, but to expose them to information that they might not get otherwise," Craft said. Speakers at St. Philip's have included insurance experts, physicians and physical therapists. "They bring information about programs that people can join nearby — and most of them are free, like health monitoring and exercise. Then a couple times a year, there’s just something fun."

Like at Gates of Prayer, St. Philip's provides a space, access to the kitchen, setup and volunteers or staff on hand to make sure everything goes smoothly.

Food and more

The senior outreach program began in 2005 under the sponsorship of Glade, a retired event planner, and her husband, Louis Glade, M.D.

It's now under the umbrella of the Gladewaves Foundation, which may be best known for its Big Red Boxes, the crimson free food pantries stationed outside 11 small local churches in the New Orleans area. The nonprofit fills the boxes regularly, and each church and community matches the donations. The red boxes are "barrier-free" — anyone can take food, no questions asked.

Likewise, the senior luncheons, free and aimed at those 55 and older, don't require any paperwork or ID to qualify.

Gladewaves raises money year-round to finance all its programs, including holding galas to raise money. Director Janie Glade takes no salary, but maintains a "boots on the ground" approach to all the foundation's efforts, showing up personally at senior luncheons to serve food and chat with attendees. 

Regulars and food to go

At the Metairie luncheon, Sarah Whalen headed up a table of regulars. At 78, the petite brunette has taught line-dancing at the Metairie Senior Center and St. Francis Xavier Church, and she marshaled a crew of fellow dancers to meet at the synagogue on West Esplanade Avenue near Cleary. Beverly Foley, one of her students, 87, said she'd enjoyed a weekend with family, but also had been looking forward to the lunch-and-learn with her friends.

There's always enough food for every diner to bring home a container for another meal. A dozen more boxes were stacked at the front of the room.

"There are more meals if you want to bring one to your neighbor," Glade called out.

Nothing goes to waste.

Asked why he came to the outreach luncheon, Dexter Smith, 74, cracked a grin. "Free groceries," he said.

But before he turned back to his conversation, he got more serious. 

"Usually people that are older have a lot of life experiences," he said. "And they don't mind sharing."

Gladewaves senior luncheons are on hiatus for June and July but will return in August. Visit gladewaves.org for more information.