HomeMy WebLinkAbout6.1 Senior Center Congregate Lunch Program
Page 1 of 2
STAFF REPORT
SENIOR CENTER ADVISORY COMMITTEE
DATE: November 2, 2017
TO: Honorable Chair and Commissioners
FROM:
Micki Cronin, Assistant Director of Parks & Community Services
SUBJECT:
Senior Center Congregate Lunch Program
Prepared by: Tyler Phillips, Recreation Coordinator
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
The Senior Center Advisory Committee will receive a report on the status of the Daily
Lunch Program.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
Receive the report.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
None
DESCRIPTION:
The Dublin Senior Center has provided a daily congregate lunch program at its
“Shamrock Café” since opening at its current location 11 years ago. On July 1, 2014,
Open Heart Kitchen began providing the lunch meal program replacing Spectrum
Community Services. In cooperation with the Area Agency on Aging of Alameda
County (AAA) and the City of Dublin, Open Heart Kitchen prepares lunch meals offsite
and delivers the meals to the Dublin Senior Center. Onsite meals are served Monday
through Friday, starting at 11:30 AM.
After a recent assessment from Open Heart Kitchen and AAA a few changes were
made to the lunch program including the reinstatement of the reservation requirement;
elimination of the juice box; the removal of the daily salad, and the reduction of the
number of times dessert (non-fruit) is served. The intent of these changes was to keep
the cost of the program affordable to the participants and to help better manage the
program.
Open Heart Kitchen’s daily menu consists of a cup of soup, entree, fruit/des sert and
Milk. The monthly menu is available on the City website and at the Dublin Senior Center
6.1
Packet Pg. 8
Page 2 of 2
front desk.
The cost for a meal is a $3.00 suggested donation. Adults of any age are welcome to
have lunch at the Senior Center Shamrock Café.
Open Heart Kitchen staffs the Dublin Senior Center with a lunch site coordinator and
recruits volunteers from the community and local agencies to help with operating the
daily lunch program. The Dublin Senior Center also provides volunteers to work the
lunch program along with a part-time staff member to assist in the kitchen.
Attachment 1 illustrates the attendance numbers of the daily lunch program at the
Dublin Senior Center since 2014 and also compares the attendance and percentage
increases between 2016 and 2017 for the daily lunch program.
The Dublin Senior Center staff has recently surveyed the lunch program to help
measure customer satisfaction. The survey was conducted September 13 - 19, 2017.
The focus of the survey was on the quality of the food and the service that was being
provided. The results of the survey are listed in Attachment 2.
NOTICING REQUIREMENTS/PUBLIC OUTREACH:
None
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Daily Lunch Program Attendance Numbers
2. Lunch Program Survey Results
6.1
Packet Pg. 9
Attachment 1
The following table shows the attendance numbers of the daily lunch program at the Dublin Senior
Center since 2014:
Table 1
Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Totals
2014 234 223 232 243 224 204 344* 376 388 485 352 270 3231
2015 335 323 390 411 338 444 436 534 618 703 540 519 5591
2016 638 647 850 650 711 755 685 710 619 713 692 597 8267
2017 828 747 918 699 821 713 589 690
*Open Heart Kitchen began serving the lunch program in July 2014
The following table shows the attendance comparison and percentage increases between 2016 and
2017:
Table 2
Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sep Oct Nov
Dec
2016 638 647 850 650 711 755 685 710 619 713 692 597
2017 828 747 918 699 821 713 589 690
%
change +29.8% +15.5% +8% +7.5% +15.5% -5.5% -14% -3%
6.1.a
Packet Pg. 10
At
t
a
c
h
m
e
n
t
:
1
.
D
a
i
l
y
L
u
n
c
h
P
r
o
g
r
a
m
A
t
t
e
n
d
a
n
c
e
N
u
m
b
e
r
s
(
S
e
n
i
o
r
C
e
n
t
e
r
D
a
i
l
y
L
u
n
c
h
P
r
o
g
r
a
m
)
Attachment 2
Dublin Senior Center Lunch Program Survey Results
This Lunch Program Survey was conducted from September 13-September 19, 2017. The purpose
of the survey was to evaluate the quality of the food and the program based on feedback from the
participants. There were 61 surveys retuned. The results of the survey are listed below. In each box
the number represents the amount of votes that were given in that category.
How would you rate today’s meal?
Excellent Very Good Good Fair Poor
Soup
23 20 14 3 1
Entrée &
Sides 19 21 15 6 2
Portion Size
15 15 20 6 1
Servers
38 14 7 2 0
The Open Heart Kitchen Lunch continues to be a well-received program. In general, the patrons of
the Senior Center seem to enjoy the lunches. The soups received very good or excellent marks from
70% of the participants; Entrées and Sides received very good or excellent from 65% of the
participants; Portion Size received very good or excellent from 49% of the participants; and the
servers received very good or excellent from 85% of the participants.
Below is a summarized list of comments received from the survey describing what patrons liked or
disliked about the lunch program.
2 Comments were provided explaining how they enjoyed the friendship and comradery they
experience at the lunch program.
5 comments were provided regarding disliking having to make reservations.
18 comments were provided requesting the return of the daily salad.
2 comments were provided requesting more vegetables come with the entrée.
5 comments were provided suggesting bigger portion sizes. One comment was specific to
the soup.
5 comments were provided complementing the staff and volunteers.
2 comments were provided complementing the soups.
3 comments were provided requesting more desserts.
2 comments were provided complementing the butter chicken. The stuffed bell peppers,
chicken Florentine, and the stew were also complemented.
6.1.b
Packet Pg. 11
At
t
a
c
h
m
e
n
t
:
2
.
L
u
n
c
h
P
r
o
g
r
a
m
S
u
r
v
e
y
R
e
s
u
l
t
s
(
S
e
n
i
o
r
C
e
n
t
e
r
D
a
i
l
y
L
u
n
c
h
P
r
o
g
r
a
m
)
8 comments were provided expressing dislike of frozen or canned foods being used for the
meals. The use of hot dogs was also mentioned as a dislike amongst these comments.
Other comments that were provided; “I appreciate the healthy meal,” “I like lunch most of
the time,” “Everything is excellent.”
6.1.b
Packet Pg. 12
At
t
a
c
h
m
e
n
t
:
2
.
L
u
n
c
h
P
r
o
g
r
a
m
S
u
r
v
e
y
R
e
s
u
l
t
s
(
S
e
n
i
o
r
C
e
n
t
e
r
D
a
i
l
y
L
u
n
c
h
P
r
o
g
r
a
m
)