Breaking bread and building community at senior lunches

Editor’s Note: All photographs were taken by Fran Dwight.

There’s something about sharing a meal that turns food into more than sustenance — it becomes conversation, laughter, and connection. For older adults living alone or with fewer opportunities to socialize, a shared lunch can be the highlight of the day.

Milestone Senior Services (MSS) in Kalamazoo understands this. They offer free weekday lunches at several locations across Kalamazoo and Calhoun counties for adults 60 and older. The meals bring people together, creating a welcoming space where new friendships form and familiar faces gather around the table.

While there’s no charge to participate, those who are able often contribute a suggested donation of $3.50. Milestone calls the program congregate dining, which simply means that people get together for a meal.  

“The purpose is to prevent social isolation,” says Taylor Benthin, director of nutrition at Milestone. “As we age, our circles get a little smaller, so this program is to encourage people to get out of their homes, come down to a site, mingle with their peers while enjoying a nice, nutritious meal that we make every day. The big goal includes also preventing nutritional risk, meaning that as you get lonely, you might not have much of an appetite anymore, so you’re not really eating as much.”

The congregate lunches are available at seven sites in Kalamazoo, two in Portage, four in Battle Creek, and one each in Albion and Marshall.  Most meet at senior housing complexes or community centers.  

The program started more than 20 years ago, and now the daily average number of participants is almost 600.  Benthin says, “The majority of the sites are at senior apartment complexes. They are open to the public, but if they are difficult to access, people can just call Milestone, and we can let them know how to get into our sites successfully.”

Benthin continues, “Because a lot of the sites are apartment complexes, they’re people the lunch participants live with; they’re neighbors, so they know them well. They look out for each other. If so and so hasn’t come down in a few days, they’re all making sure that that person is okay. They even sometimes let us know if they have seen a decline in some of their peers, so they really do look out for each other.”

Ecumenical Senior Center

A Kalamazoo organization that has participated in congregate lunches from the beginning is the Ecumenical Senior Center (ESC).  In January 2025, the center relocated to Milestone’s Kalamazoo facility at 918 Jasper St., because ESC is building a new center four times larger than its old building at 702 N. Burdick St. The new building is expected to open in spring 2027.

In the Milestone building, ESC continues to offer congregate lunches every weekday. Twenty-five to 30 people usually attend, says Lou Bilacio, program coordinator for ESC. “Folks can come in and sign up to be part of that center,” says Benthin. “And they can sign up to be part of the congregate site as well.”

Charlene Harkness has enjoyed the ESC lunches for about 20 years. At first, she was a volunteer for the organization, and now she’s the operations coordinator. Harkness says people get acquainted and make friends. “It’s like one big family around here. They love it; they like the meals here,” she says. “We try to have enough meals because we have people stop in that haven’t ordered lunch because sometimes they bring new people in and we try to make sure we have enough for them, too.”

Harkness continues, “We always give Milestone something. We’ve got a donation box where you can put something in just to give back. I tell them just give something; you go out to eat, and you might pay $20.”

At a recent Ecumenical Senior Center lunch, Laticia Belue says she’s enjoyed ESC’s programs for more than eight years.“I come every day. We exercise here. We go on trips. There are some who do live by themselves. We’re like a family and spend time together. They play games; one top game is poker. They play other card games like Uno.”

Belue says newcomers are made welcome. “We’re friends.  You know everybody’s trying to get along, and those that are kind of difficult, you gotta love them.”

Here are other sites for congregate lunches in Kalamazoo: Dillon Hall, 3301 Gull Rd. #308; Evergreen North Apartments, 5700 Vintage Ln.; Spring Valley Apartments, 2535 Mount Olivet Rd.; Westland Meadows Apartments, 4300 Leisure Ln.; Northwinds Apartments, 1004 Douglas Ave.; and Washington Square Apartments, 710 Collins St.

In Portage, the lunches are available at Crossroads Village Apartments, 6600 Constitution Blvd., and Spring Manor Apartments, 610 Mall Dr.

The Kalamazoo and Portage programs are partly supported by the Kalamazoo County Area Agency on Aging.

In Battle Creek, congregate lunches are available at Bedford Manor, 100 S. Bedford Rd.; Cherry Hill Manor, 10 Clay St.; Springview Towers, 231 Springview Dr.; and Westbrook Place, 183 West St.

In Albion, a lunch site is Forks Senior Center, 101 N. Albion St., and Marshall has one at Heritage Commons Senior Enrichment Center, 15885 W. Michigan Ave.

The Calhoun County program is partly supported by Carewell Services Southwest and Calhoun County Senior Services.

An extension of the congregate meal program operates in the Vicksburg area of Kalamazoo County. Residents there can contact South County Community Services (269-649-2901) to inquire about dining vouchers usable at Yogi’s Diner in Vicksburg.

To join a congregate dining program through Milestone, call 269-382-0515, extension 350.