SENIOR CENTER NEWS: Suggested Donation for Hot Meals Will Increase This Month

Meals on Wheels (MOW) of Pagosa Springs is a food service provided by the Archuleta Seniors Inc. for those needing a hot, home-cooked and home delivered meal at low cost.  The cost of a meal historically has been a $5.00 donation. Starting in January of 2023 the suggested donation will be raised to $10.00 for all meals (MOW, dine in, pick up, grab n go, guests) made by the Pagosa Senior Center and Community Cafe.

As a reminder this increase in cost is being requested as a donation, and no one will be turned away.  The current supply chain and the rising cost of food, along with limited program funding have put a strain on our nine-year-old non-profit.  ASI kitchen staff hand prepare around 200 meals every day (five days a week, frozen meals on weekends) for people who are unable to make a meal for themselves.

If you would like to Adopt A Senior to help provide hot daily meals to a senior in need or have other questions please contact us at 970-264-2167.

Healthy Aging & Yoga Therapy Class Series Starts Monday January 16
Gather with local yoga practitioners AJ Connors and Will Sechrist for a series of evidence based healthy aging and yoga therapy classes at the Pagosa Senior Center geared for adults and older adults of all ages. Start 2023 with a yoga series for healthy aging individuals with therapeutic classes offering yoga tools and education for strength, resilience, and wellness. Classes are designed to address different aspects of healthy aging and are geared towards accessibility and gentle practice. The themes for the class will include physical and mental well-being utilizing movement, meditation, and breathing practices. Mats and chairs will be provided; it’s optional to bring a blanket, and please wear comfortable clothing. Classes are offered Monday 2:30 pm-3:30 pm with a suggested donation sliding scale of $5-15/class. First class begins 1/16/23 and subsequent classes are 1/23/23, 1/30/23 and 2/6/23.

Covid-19 Test Kits Available
Stop by the Pagosa Senior Center to pick up a pack of 5 free covid-19 tests kits for your personal use.  These kits are available to anyone in the public that needs affordable access for health promotion and disease prevention.

Text Us @ 970-264-2167 
Don’t forget that we also offer a convenient texting service for you to communicate with us. When texting, please include your name, phone number and the days you want a meal.  If you are calling to cancel a reservation, please include your name, phone number and the days you want to cancel.  Texting services are available for dining-in meal reservations, Grab-n-Go meals, and Meals on Wheels recipients.

Mobile Food Pantry Service Available for Seniors 
The Pagosa Senior Center would like to remind the community about our mobile food pantry services we provide in partnership with Archuleta County MET to seniors age 60 and older throughout most areas of Archuleta County. In order to participate in this program, community members must visit with Barbara Noriega at the downtown Senior Center located in the Ross Aragon Community Center to fill out an application to qualify for hot meal delivery service and/or the mobile pantry service. The application, called the dining assessment form, is also available on our website at the bottom of the Community Cafe page http://www.psseniors.org/community-cafeacute.html.  For more information contact us at 970-264-2167.

Mahjong
Mahjong is a 19th Century Chinese tile-based game that is commonly played with four players.  Each player receives 13 tiles with a goal to make matching sets and pairs (like Poker).  To win, a player must form four sets and one pair.  Come to the Senior Center to learn or play every Tuesday at 1:15 pm.

Engaging Pictures
Photos are needed from seniors and their families who live, work and play their best lives in Archuleta County.  We are looking for pictures that convey people’s active lifestyles, families, culture and more.  We would like to use these pictures in our grant applications, on social media and our website.  Please email all pictures to rosa@psseniors.org or feel free to drop them off.

Kitchen and Desk Volunteers Needed 
The Community Cafe at the Pagosa Senior Center is requesting volunteers to help with kitchen tasks and substitutes for our Meals on Wheels drivers.  Please call or text us at 970-264-2167 to volunteer or for more information.

Community Cafe Menu

Thursday,January 5  – Shrimp scampi with polenta cake, stuffed mushrooms, garden salad, fruit and milk.

Friday, January 6  –  Hawaiian pork and peppers, coconut rice, fortune cookies, garden salad and milk.

Monday, January 9 – French Dip with au jus and steak frites, garden salad, fruit and milk.

Tuesday  January 10  – Pasta primavera with alfredo sauce, garlic bread, garden salad, fruit and milk.

Wednesday, January 11 – Zuppa Toscano, focaccia bread, garden salad, fruit and milk.

Thursday,January 12  – Chicken marsala, baked potato, roll, garden salad, fruit and milk.

Friday, January 13  –   Crispy cod with tartar sauce, sweet potato fries, broccoli, garden salad, fruit and milk.

Grab-N-Go Meals 
Reservations and cancellations are required.  Please call or text by 9:00 am the morning of the day you want to pick up a meal.  A suggested donation of $5.00 helps to sustain our program.  No one will be turned away for their inability to donate.  For ages 59 and younger, the cost is $10.50.  Please call or text us at 970-264-2167 to make a reservation.

Please consider donating to Archuleta Seniors Inc. You may mail your donation to PO BOX 3444, Pagosa Springs CO 81147 or please visit our website: http://www.psseniors.org/ (donation button).  Donation checks can be written to:  Archuleta Seniors, Inc.  We are located at 451 Hot Springs Blvd., in downtown Pagosa Springs.

For more information about ASI, please visit http://www.psseniors.org/.

Rosa Chavez

Rose Chavez is Executive Director for Archuleta Seniors, Inc. and Public Health Consultant at Archuleta Food System/Food Equity Coalition.