Cosgrove Cafe provides meals for 'Generations'

Feb. 24, 2005
By Phil Lineburg
Staff Writer

The Cosgrove Hall cafeteria is more than just a place where students go for a meal. Since 1986, the cafeteria has served as the operations base for a meal program for seniors and the homebound.

“We would like to get more people involved with it,” Steve Dau said.  “Our numbers have dropped over the years.  Some people just don’t know about the program.  Here at Sodexo, we would like to encourage people to call the Friendly House or call Generations, and enquire about the meals –they would be more than happy to help you out.”    

In cooperation with local organizations, like Generations, the cafeteria prepares meals that are delivered to local churches and community centers.  For those that are unable to get out their homes, there is a meal delivery service, with one meal delivered daily by a team of volunteers.

The program maintains a total of 16 sites in Scott County, six in Clinton County, and eight sites in Muscatine County, accounting for 3,000 meals a week.  The delivery service distributes 400 homebound meals a week.  The meal service is available everyday of the year, including weekends and holidays. 

Darlene Blakley has been working with the program since it’s origin in 1986. 

“I’ve seen a lot of students come and go, but I think the most rewarding program I’ve been a part of has been the meals program,” Blakley said.  “Seniors that normally wouldn’t get anything, as far as a well balanced diet.  They usually live on lunchmeat, sweets.  You’d see them going into a grocery store, if you see them going into a grocery store, they’ll buy donuts, the day old places. They weren’t eating proper foods”

Ann Bloomer has been apart of the program since 1986 and was later promoted to manager of the program in 1996.

“I think the congregate meal program, here on campus is something that is really unknown to the students, and some of the faculty and staff,” Bloomer said.  “It’s [Sodexo’s] community service through St. Ambrose, to take care of the seniors.  I think sometimes there’s a misconception by the students when they find out about the congregate meal program, that it interferes with the production of student meals. We make sure that both programs are taken care of on a daily basis."

If you know someone that could be helped by the meal service, more information can be found by contacting the Friendly House.  Their office is located at 1221 Myrtle St. in Davenport.  They can be contacted by phone at 563-323-1821. The Friendly House was established in 1896 as part of a settlement movement to provide resources and support to neighborhoods.

Generations Area Agency on Aging works with community organizations, under the requirements of an amendment to the Older Americans Act in 1972.  More information about the organization, as well as meal site locations, can be found at their website, located at www.genage.org.

Back to the FEATURES-PAGE or "The Buzz" HOMEPAGE