COMMUNITY NEWS
Great Plates Delivered For Older Adults & Restaurateurs
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By June Smith
n April 24, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced the launch of a first-inthe-nation meal delivery service called “Great Plates Delivered” for California’s older adults. Santa Cruz County began the program on Memorial Day weekend and has since delivered thousands of meals. Great Plates Delivered serves two purposes: To help seniors and adults at high risk from COVID-19 to stay at home by receiving three nutritious meals a day, and to provide essential economic stimulus to local businesses struggling to survive. Vendors must meet certain standards. Nutritional requirements for lunch and dinner must offer a piece of fresh fruit or vegetable in each dish, be low in sodium, and contain no sugary drinks. A Santa Cruz County committee first chose four local restaurants and one caterer — The Back Nine, Johnny’s Harborside, Roaring Camp, Pearl of the Ocean, and Swing Time Catering — to prepare the meals.
Photo Credit: June Smith
Jesus B. is ready for a signature after delivering my meal.
“Hospice” from page 6 Hospice programs failing to meet the requirements will be surveyed every six months. If program deficiencies jeopardize the health and safety of the participants, the HHS Secretary can levy a penalty of up to $10,000 a day, suspend federal payments,
Other providers have been added, including Collectivo Felix and Teen Kitchen Project. After learning about the program, I applied and was teamed up to receive meals from Team Kitchen Project. TKP’s Executive Director Angela Farley is grateful to be able to serve local seniors through the Great Plates Program, offering hearthealthy and diabetes-friendly medically tailored meals to local seniors who qualify. My first delivery included soup, a roasted vegetable salad with Feta cheese, balsamic vinaigrette, plus three more entrees. The meals come with a fact sheet outlining the ingredients included and nutritional data. Farley says, “TKP brings young people into the kitchen to learn to cook delicious and nourishing food. The meals are delivered free of charge to individuals and families who are in crisis due to a lifethreatening illness or those now observing the Stay at Home orders. We have an interview process that includes committing to adhere to Health Officer recommendations in and out of the kitchen. We have a stable group of youth with our team of adult chefs who work four days a week preparing meals. Work stations are at least six feet apart with no more than eight total people in our large kitchen at a time.” Their organic suppliers are Smart Chicken, Mary’s Chicken, and major funder Lakeside Organic Garden, who because of their monetary and in-kind donations, Teen Kitchen Project has been able to scale up dramatically to serve those suffering from COVID-19. A social worker from Dominican Home Health applied to Great Plates for local author and film critic Lisa Jensen when she learning that cooking and cleaning was often difficult for her due to multiple sclerosis. Jensen has been getting three deliveries a week with seven tasty dinners from
My first meal (Cabbage and Leek Gratin). Colectivo Felix. She says, “I still like to cook, but I’m always so curious to see what the next one(s) will be!” Chef Diego Felix says the program has been a huge help and source of income for his business. His summer season was almost fully booked with weddings, winery dinners, and private events, which have all been canceled. This program of the Human Service Department of the County has local support from the Community Foundation of Santa Cruz County as well as partnerships with other local organizations. Susan True, Chief Executive Officer of The Community Foundation, says, “Donors’ gifts to our COVID-19 Response Fund meant we could offer the local
Photo Credit: June Smith
matching funds that helped millions in federal dollars come back to feed and protect our community. Great Plates Delivered lets older adults at higher risk remain safe at home and also gives timely business to local meal providers struggling to stay afloat.” n ••• The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Public Assistance program originally authorized the service through 2020, but extensions were made due to the ongoing severity of the COVID-19 virus. The program was extended until Feb. 6, 2021, with the plan to have more extensions if necessary. Great Plates Delivered: covid19.ca.gov/ restaurants-deliver-home-meals-for-seniors/ To apply: 831-454-4406
appointment temporary overseers, or terminate the program’s certification. n ••• To read the bill language, go to https:// www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/116/hr5821/ text. To read the Inspector General’s reports, see https://oig.hhs.gov/newsroom/media-materials/ media-materials-2019-hospice/
www.tpgonlinedaily.com Aptos Times / February 1st 2021 / 7
