WELLINGTON, Fla. — A new meal service for seniors could soon be coming to the Wellington Community Center.
After a difficult few years, Wellington's Village Manager Jim Barnes said he's hopeful that providing a place where seniors can get free meals will bring the community together.
"If nothing else, it's a way to provide two balanced meals per day, Monday through Friday, with the exception of holidays, for those seniors who might otherwise not be able to have access to those meals," Barnes said.
Wellington resident Annie Inzerillo was thrilled by the news. She told WPTV she lost her husband to COVID-19 and hopes this will allow her to meet new people.
"It can be very lonely when you're by yourself, so this is a wonderful, wonderful thing," Inzerillo said.
Another resident, Ernest Zimmerman, said inflation at the grocery store has caused him and his wife to socialize less.
"Everything is going up, but not the senior citizens' paycheck," Zimmerman said. "When you're with senior people, they're all on fixed incomes, so it affects us more than anybody."
If the proposal is approved by the Palm Beach County Commission, the program will be funded by the Older Americans Act. The county agenda also states it will serve more than 13,000 meals every year.
Leaders at the Palm Beach County Senior and Veteran Services told WPTV that the meals will be free for everyone 60 and older. The program includes breakfast and lunch Monday through Friday.
If county leaders approve the proposal, organizers hope to start serving meals in early January.