Clarence is a soft-spoken senior with a big heart. A retired literature professor, he has always been drawn to nurturing others. “Over the years, there were many times when I enjoyed my students so much, I felt like I should be paying them for the joy of teaching!” he said with a chuckle.
Clarence continues to nurture others and feeds his own giving spirit by lending a hand as a volunteer in our Senior Lunch Program. He’s been coming for lunch at the Sunset Senior Center for about four years, commuting across town three or four days each week to enjoy a nutritious meal from Project Open Hand. After lunch, he clears empty plates for less-mobile seniors, then buzzes around the dining room wiping tables clean and tidying up.
Clarence discovered our Senior Lunch Program one day while walking along Irving Street and seeing a banner advertising our program. “Right from the very first day when I stepped inside the door, I felt welcome,” he recalled. “Right off the bat, the site coordinator, Larry, was so warm and kind. It just made all the difference to be welcomed like that.”
“Seniors in our community are sometimes overlooked, but we always feel comfortable here. There’s such a great ambiance,” Clarence added. “Coming for lunch is a great time to get together, and in this expensive city, seniors can always use more support like this.”
When asked what his favorite meals are, Clarence replied definitively, “The fish dishes are the best. The sauces are delicious and imaginative.”
Last year, Project Open Hand served 347,630 meals with love through our Senior Lunch Program. Thank you for your generous support, which is enabling us to expand our program and add new lunch sites. Learn more at www.OpenHand.org/seniors.