Meals, Fellowship Feed Body And Soul, Help Build Extended Family

By LIZ BLEAU The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 5, 2007

There's more than lunch being dished up daily at the Wimauma Senior Center.

"I like getting a hug every day," said Doris Moulton, 82, of Sun City Center, who had just finished embracing center Director Pat Karr.

"Someone told me once that people need 18 hugs a day, so I come here to get some of those," Moulton said.

Hot meals for seniors are served at the center, and the Meals on Wheels program get them to those who can't leave home.

Betty Sabo, 87, of Kings Point, has been volunteering at the center each weekday for 17 years helping serve the food.

"I come here because I don't want to stay home. I would go crazy," she said.

When the federal Older Americans Act lunch program was initiated in the early 1980s, its creators recognized that many seniors needed not only a hot meal each day but also a chance to get out of their homes.

A place to be with other people.

Lunch is free, but donations are accepted.

Glenn and Alvisell Pridgen are regulars. They go to break bread with familiar friends and enjoy their companionship.

"This is a good group," Alvisell Pridgen said. "Besides lunch, we always have some type of activity, like dominoes or movies and popcorn or exercise."

Ed Warren, 85, lives by himself and does little cooking at home.

"I go for breakfast every day at 5 a.m. with a group of friends at a local restaurant," he said. "And then I come here for lunch every day. It's my main meal of the day. They are great here."

Karr said the center staff tries to give support when they can, "and lots of hugs."

"We try to be an extended family here, so hugs are always on the menu."

EDITOR'S NOTE

Real Time is an occasional series of images and words captured around our community, moments shared by our neighbors as they go about the day-to-day business of life. Contact Susan Anastasia at (813) 657-4530 or sanastasia

@tampatrib.com for information or to suggest Real Time ideas.

Reporter Liz Bleau can be reached at (813) 865-1557 or lbleau@tampatrib.com.