Friendship Inn resumes in-house service

By JaSon klaiBer

After a nearly three-year break, Friendship Inn Cazenovia reopened for in-house service on March 20.

Through the COVID pandemic, the weekly outreach program meant to revolve around food and camaraderie has steadily distributed 75 to 80 meals on a first-come, first-served basis.

“I know that many of our older clients have been looking forward to it because it’s their time of fellowship with others that they missed so much,” said Duane Moore, the kitchen director for the Friendship Inn. “They’ve been asking about it and asking about it, but with COVID jumping back up, we didn’t dare do it.”

The Friendship Inn dining hall is located in the lower level of the building at 21 Lincklaen St. shared by Summit Church and Cazenovia United Methodist Church.

Open to anyone and everyone, the nonprofit meal service has provided grub such as pork chops, ziti coated in meat sauce, and hot dogs with sides of vegetables and fresh garden salads.

“You get a well-rounded meal,” said Dan Schallmo, the senior pastor for Summit Church. “There’s also a synergy between our churches, and we enjoy each other’s company. With the COVID restrictions essentially being lifted now too, we feel comfortable doing the in-person service again.”

The collaborative initiative led by the combined ministries has also welcomed helping hands from the greater community, whether it be from local businesses, the town rotary club, other churches, or random groups of volunteers who help to prepare and serve the meals.

Moore calls the assistance received over the years a “blessing.”

In the past, Dave’s Diner in Cazenovia, Caz Sports Bowl, Tops Friendly Market, the Brewster Inn, the Lincklaen House, Heritage Hill Brewhouse and HeartStone

Artisan Bakery have been among the establishments that have supplied food for the Friendship Inn’s Monday meals. The program supervisors also keep up with the contents of the monthly Food Bank of Central New York newsletter.

Because the Friendship Inn has regularly relied on Cazenovia College’s food service personnel for excess food, from pans of corn to frozen shrimp scampi, not to mention the support of administrators, faculty members and students through the semesters, Schallmo said the permanent closure of the institution after the current academic year will be a “deep loss.”

“It’s a shock wave that’s still rippling through our community,” he said. “We’ve

Submitted photo enjoyed a good partnership and close association with them, so that’s going to be a big dent in our food supply.” of up

Friendship inn Cazenovia serves inhouse, free-of-charge meals for the community at large.

For more, contact Duane Moore at 315952-6685 or dmoore4850@gmail.com. The volunteer coordinator, Deb Wilcox, can be reached at 315-506-0478 or deb@cazmail. com.

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Managing stress

Life is stressful.

We accept this to a certain degree in that daily life comes with many stressors from our personal lives, work, the daily commute and innumerable other factors that each individual has to contend with.

While we know there is stress in life, we don’t always take the time to realize how stressed out we are and even less time to consider the negative impacts living under stress can have on our mental and physical health and even less time to do things that can help us destress and live a healthier life.

The month of April is recognized as Stress Awareness Month as a means of drawing attention to the impact of stress and help us realize how important and vital it is to find ways to manage it in a healthy manner for our overall wellness.

According to the American Heart Association, stress is a health risk we all need to be cognizant of. In the short term stress can increase blood pressure and heart rate and interfere with sleep. Over the long term, stress can lead to weight gain and pose a risk for diabetes.

Stress may contribute to poor health behaviors linked to increased risk for heart disease and stroke, such as smoking, overeating, lack of physical activity, unhealthy diet, being overweight and not taking medications as prescribed

Your body’s response to stress may be things like a headache, back strain and stomach pains,

Stress can also zap your energy, wreak havoc on your sleep and make you feel cranky, forgetful or out of control.

A stressful situation sets off a chain of events. Your body releases adrenaline, a hormone that temporarily causes your breathing and heart rate to speed up and your blood pressure to rise. These reactions prepare you to deal with the situation — the “fight or flight” response.

The American Heart Association says chronic stress is when stress is constant and your body is in high gear off and on for days or weeks at a time. Chronic stress may lead to high blood pressure, which can increase risk for heart attack and stroke.

According to the organization managing stress is good for your health and well-being. Negative psychological health/mental health is associated with an increased risk of heart disease and stroke. But positive psychological health is associated with a lower risk of heart disease and death. Negative mental health conditions include depression, chronic stress, anxiety, anger, pessimism and dissatisfaction with life.

These conditions are associated with potentially harmful responses in our bodies such as irregular heart rate and rhythm, increased digestive problems, increased blood pressure, inflammation and reduced blood flow to the heart.

People with positive mental health are also more likely to have health factors linked to a lower risk of developing heart disease such as lower blood pressure, better glucose control, less inflammation and lower cholesterol.

Fortunately, you can manage stress in ways such as exercising regularly. It can relieve stress, tension, anxiety and depression. Consider a nature walk, meditation or yoga. Also making time for friends and family is recommended. It’s important to maintain social connections and talk with people you trust. And getting enough sleep is important. Adults should aim for seven to nine hours a night. Also important is maintaining a positive attitude. Practicing relaxation techniques while listening to music and find a stimulating hobby that can be fun and distract you from negative thoughts or worries.

Figuring out how stress pushes your buttons is an important step in dealing with it. Identify sources of stress in your life and look for ways to reduce and manage them.

A health care professional can help you find ways to manage your stress, according to the heart association. For more information visit TheAmerican Heart Association at heart. org.