The White Rock Senior is no longer offering a drive thru lunch program for seniors. The Betty Ehart Senior Center will continue to offer drive thru lunches for Los Alamos and White Rock approximately through June 30 when hopefully the kitchen renovations at Betty Ehart have been completed. Photo Courtesy LARSO

BY BERNADETTE LAURITZEN
Executive Director
LARSO

An open letter to the community:

I wanted to inform the community that my letter writing campaign for the senior centers’ drive thru lunches was in no way meant to be disrespectful to the Aging and Long-Term Services Department or the Area Agency on Aging.

My staff and I have spent the last three years building relationships with community members, some that have never utilized our services until the pandemic. Our legislative motto of’ “Be Our Voice,” was meant to empower our people to speak up and be heard. Well stand up you did, and my hope was that it would make a difference. My hope was that we could demonstrate that providing nutritional meals to seniors was more important than if they ate inside.

This week the Federal Government also followed suit with a declaring of an end to the emergency declaration. That means there is no possibility of drive-thru lunches after Friday in White Rock. However, the drive thru option is still available in Los Alamos until the kitchen renovation project is complete, through approximately June 30.

Those wishing to see if they can switch to the Home Delivered Meal program, sometimes referred to as Meals on Wheels can call 505-662-7957. After Friday, it may require a brief trip inside for paperwork or a visit to your home. Once you are 60, there is no cost associated with receiving food.

LARSO, the Aging and Long-Term Services Department and the Area Agency on Aging are just the hub stuck in the middle at the end of a three-year pandemic. Hopefully we learned something along the way. If not, hopefully people learned that we are always here for them.