Welcome to the Pass it On podcast. I'm your host, Kate Stewart. On this podcast, I interview people that I admire because I think we have so much to learn from them. These times call for all of us to step up and pitch in in whatever way we can. But for now, pull up your lawn chair to the fire pit because it's story time.
Senior Lunch welcome table, 2025.
Kate: A few weeks ago, I decided to get out of my comfort zone and try something new. I've been going to Lake City, Colorado on vacation since I was very young, and my dad and my stepmom decided to retire there almost 20 years ago. But I had never visited them in winter over those 20 years if that tells you anything about how I feel about cold weather. But I've been thinking a lot about my own survival skills, and I've been wondering, would I be able to make it through a harsh winter again if I had to?
My dad has always said that winter is his favorite season in Lake City. He enjoys the quiet and the slower pace of life, and he tends to the fires in his two wood stoves every day. He reads a whole lot of books, and he plays a lot of Sudoku, and my stepmom cooks and bakes nearly every day. They both watch a lot of football, too. But most importantly, they like to spend quality time with their neighbors in this very tiny little town. Lake City has only 400 year-round residents and it's located in Hinsdale County, which is thought to be the most remote county in the lower 48 states. I don't know how they calculate that. It may have something to do with the fact that there's no stoplight here. The elevation is 8,672 feet, which makes it difficult for many people, especially the elderly, to get enough oxygen. The steep mountains surround the town on all sides and Lake City has staunchly prevented chain businesses and unchecked development, unlike a lot of more famous towns on the Western Slope.
Over half of the population of townies here is over 65. They are extraordinarily tough, independent people who know how to survive cold weather and living in such a remote location. When I got here, my stepmom asked me if I wanted to go to Senior Lunch. “What's that?” I asked. She explained that it's a special lunch at the Armory for senior citizens that takes place twice a month on Fridays. It's five dollars to get some great food and have some great conversation with people from Lake City.
Did I want to go to Senior Lunch? Heck yeah, I did! She also told me that Senior Lunch was part of a new slate of activities for seniors in Lake City called Senior Connections. I had to ask, how did this get started? Who was involved in making it happen? Is this kind of thing really working here? I decided to bring my microphone with me to Senior Lunch to record some interviews with the people who helped make this happen. I also wanted to find out what kind of difference it's making in people's lives to have some good old-fashioned, in-person fellowship. The background noise in some of these interviews may make it difficult to hear what they're trying to say, but I wanted you to feel like you were right there with me at the Armory. So grab a plate and sit down, because we're going to Senior Lunch.
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Kate: Okay. I'm here at Senior Lunch at the Lake City Armory in Colorado and I'm talking with Lori, who is one of the people who helped start Senior Connections. So welcome Lori.
Lori: Thank you.
Kate: So, let's start. How did Senior Connections get started?
Lori: This was the brainchild of Cheryl Tate. There were group of us that felt like there was a part of our community in Lake City that was not being served, that would be the senior community. We did some research within the tax roll to find out what percentage of our population fell into that category. It was at least 50% of our population. We were trying to figure out how can we reach these folks. We knew a lot of them were kind of shut in, maybe not participating in things in the community.
Senior Connections came together. We had a group of ten volunteers, no money, but a vision to make something happen for this pair of folks. Through lot of work with volunteers and donations and things, we got the first meal off the ground last summer, then it's just kind of grown from there. The town has donated the use of the space for the dining and the kitchen, which was huge because we needed a place to meet. And then it started out with just maybe 20 people coming. They were a little bashful, I think, to come and participate because they weren't really sure what this was.
Then as it has evolved through the fall and winter, we now have 50, 60, 70 people coming to lunch, totally enjoying the fellowship. They come early, they stay late, they laugh and visit and just have a wonderful time ,and they have a really great meal because we have a really good cook. So, it's been super fun to see this evolve, and it has really taken off, and we hope to do bigger and better things in coming year.
Kate: What are the other things you have available now?
Lori: So, right now the Senior Center is open during the week. We have different activities scheduled, but people can come in anytime and grab a cup of coffee, have a snack, just visit with someone. Or there are puzzles, games. Some ladies come to knit on Wednesdays. There's a ladies' bridge group on Thursdays. There is senior walking in the Armory, and then next week we're going to be starting a Silver Sneakers fitness program for the older adults just to help with balance and flexibility and things like that, because we have seen that the number one injury in this age group is falls, and sometimes those are very debilitating. We want to be able to help some folks to stay more independent, especially in this mountain community that's really important, because we’re far away from anything. Independence is a really big thing here.
Kate: Yeah, for sure. You have to be tough to make it through the winter here.
Lori: Yes, yes.
Kate: You take the money when people come in for lunch. the check-in person. And you're going to do senior--
Lori: So ,it's five dollars a meal and then we kind of get them lined up for the next meal. We try to keep it on the second and fourth Friday, just for that consistency. And then we get to visit and people come in so that's really fun.
Kate: It seems like a good group, like people know each other pretty well.
Lori: It is.
Kate: That's terrific. Okay, well thank you.
Lori: You're welcome, thank you.
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Kate: All right, I'm here now with Greg, who is a County Commissioner of Hinsdale County and one of the people involved in getting Senior Connections started. What was your role in that, in the early days?
Greg: I was approached by Cheryl Tate. This was back a ways ago in 2024. I think she approached me, it was multi-faceted, was my being a county commissioner and using that kind of influence. As well as just being someone that's been locally involved in the community for 25-plus years, and an idea that I could probably reach out to a lot of people. I believe the impetus was for me to bridge the gap between Public Health and this group that was loosely-knitted, formed a committee. That's how I got involved. I was asked to conduct a survey that really narrowed down on what the greatest needs of the senior community was.
Kate: What's the connection then with the County Public Health Department?
Greg: The County Public Health Department had someone working and doing senior coordinating, putting together senior lunches and stuff like that. At the time of the inception of this idea, they felt there was a disconnect within Public Health and that they weren’t being served properly. They being seniors in our community, and that maybe more needed to be done. I went through that position with Public Health because I had great relationships with them already. I just saw what they could do and what we could do as a county or what we could do as a city to bridge that gap.
Kate: That's great. What else besides, you come to Senior Lunch sometimes?
Greg: Yeah, and so the main part was...
Kate: But you're not a senior citizen, right?
Greg: I'm not a senior citizen. I'm, you know, quickly approaching, I suppose. By definition, 55 in some places, but we're going with 60. That's kind of the number we use.
Kate: Cut off, okay.
Greg: My connections, like I said, would be trying to get funding from the county, being an advocate within the county board, and making sure that those needs are met, and that they've got a seat at the table. Once again, them being the Senior Connections group, and that through me, they had a better voice in the county. I know they're trying to get more input from the town. I think they've got good reception from the town, but no one quite as involved as me, I would say, at that level, where I'm continually asking for funds to be donated to the Senior Connections program, working with—
Kate: And they keep saying no? They don't want to?
Greg: The county or the town?
Kate: Okay.
Greg: Which one says no?
Kate: The county?
Greg: Oh no, we're saying yes. Everyone's donating money.
Kate: You're getting money from the county? I thought it was just purely donations.
Greg: Oh no, nope. The county has dedicated funds as well as the town.
Kate: I see, okay.
Greg: Yeah, and the town, a lot of it's in-kind through this building without charging rent.
Kate: I see, cool. How do you think it's helping people be healthier? What’s the connection with the Health Department?
Greg: It’s huge. That in and of itself is the reason to have it. Socialization is the big part. I can't say because I wasn't paying attention so much two years ago, let’s say, as to what was happening within the senior community. But I know this wasn't happening. I know people are getting home delivery of meals. I'm going to go back a little bit. COVID affected everything with the program because they used to have a senior in-person meal program through Public Health that took place at the Baptist Church, but that went away. It never got reinstated, so the Senior Connections team, committee, group, whatever you want to call them, they just pushed and pushed to create more. Beyond socialization and people getting a very nice meal at a great price, this is putting local community members to work.
Kate: You're paying them?
Greg: Yep, people get paid, our chef.
Kate: For the cooking and stuff?
Greg: Our volunteers, or there's some people that are volunteering. Some people have a somewhat very minimally paid position within the kitchen. I think that people getting out, especially in the winter, is huge. I’ve never seen anything like this in my 28 years here. We used to have different functions that took place here at the Armory, big get-togethers, big potlucks. Those went to the wayside, too. This what's going on two Fridays a month is huge. It's not just for the senior citizens, other people involved that you can see. There's people from all ages here, mean, not too many young folks, but we will have people involved in the school. It's also going to benefit summer residents as well.
Kate: I heard that you go outside in the back, right? Tables back there.
Greg: Because it started during warmer weather, and we had the yard back there was filled with people. It's a good place to push time, effort, and some fun.
Kate: Alright. Well, thank you.
Greg: Of course.
Kate: Yeah, it's really fun.
Greg: Yes.
Senior Connections sign, 2025.
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Kate: Now I'm here with Rick, who today was our waiter. He was bringing us all of our food and drinks and was very on top of it. So how did you get involved in Senior Lunch?
Rick: Well, years ago, I don’t know, ten, fifteen years ago, we had a very active senior program here. I say that, but there was one lunch a month in the summertime. I honestly don't remember how I got started on that. I do remember. There were some older folks, and we were running EMS at the time. I had a connection with some of the old guys. I would go and just kind of help serve and sit with the old guys and chit-chat and stuff.
And we had a fond, we all love cobblers and pies and ice cream, so it worked out really good. That kind of started, then over the years, I think we just quit having a viable senior program. Last February, I think a group of eight of us got together. A local lady, Cheryl, was kind of the, she's got a real heart for senior programming. Her folks had a tough time.
Kate: Oh, I see.
Rick: And they moved out of state. When her folks passed on, I think she thought, we're not going to do that here. She got a group together and here we are, a year into it. I think it's been a learning process.
We've had some several people have stepped up, really have a heart for them. So it's very fun. The best part to me is looking in here and seeing folks that have turned sideways in the chairs and they're laughing, people across the table laughing. And the other remarkable thing is in a community of 400 people, there are people that don't know other people. It’s bizarre.
Kate: Yeah, they don’t know anybody.
Rick: Some of our folks are getting older. It's very concerning because their health is really slipping. At least this way, we'll see them at least twice a month. And we can see if they're not looking good or if they're not feeling well and stuff. It gives us a chance to get eyes on everything and see how they're doing and stuff. Which is important.
Kate: Are there some people, a few people who just never come to anything?
Rick: Yep.
Kate: You think they don't want to participate?
Rick: There's a misconception that this is a charity lunch. It's not. That was not the intent at all. If people don't have the money, five dollars for lunch, they don't have it. That's fine. Nobody's going to say anything. It's not a problem. It's not for charity, it's for the socialization.
Kate: They're not starving.
Rick: The older community actually has quite a high suicide rate.
Kate: You mean here specifically or in general?
Rick: Nationwide. Fortunately not here.
Kate: I was going to say, I hope it's not happening here.
Rick: It's the socialization. But we have people that really isolate themselves for various reasons. That was probably our primary thing. I think some of the original group thought oh, our biggest need is transportation. Oh, our biggest need is nutrition or something. But I think our biggest need is the connectedness to the community. That's their biggest need, that everyone feels a connection. I'm excited about our, we’re looking at a intergenerational program.
Kate: Oh, okay.
Rick: That would be having kids from high school. Ben?
Ben: Are you interviewing?
Kate: Yeah.
Ben: Right now? Is it online?
Kate: Not yet, no.
Ben: You need to come back because Vickers…
Kate: Oh, I know. There’s a lot of people.
Ben: There’s an amazing amount of history.
Kate: I think Lake City should have its own podcast. Somebody needs to interview everyone.
Ben: Well, it should.
Rick: The high school kids are going do this.
Kate: They are? Okay, that's great. Really?
Rick: I'm excited about that. And we're going to pair up some of the kids.
Ben: Wow.
Rick: And start doing some interviews. There are people that have experience in the mines back in the day. There are people that have military and stuff. There's a lot of stuff that can be lost if we don't capture and to get the kids back connected with some of them as a whole. I'm excited about that.
Kate: Cool, okay. So, the greatest need was for people to come together in person.
Rick: And, of course, we deliver or they can come out and get it to go. I have about twenty years in EMS. And then Lori and I ran for together here for about twelve or thirteen years, my wife. I'm a reserve deputy, and the wildland fire is, I've been doing this for about ten years. My background is in forestry and education stuff. So anyway, this is just kind of…
Kate: A special thing?
Rick: The next phase I guess. It's doing something. It feels good.
Kate: You mentioned the intergenerational programs. What are those going to be like?
Rick: Through Public Health they have an intergenerational program coordinator. We talked with her early on. She's a new hire, and I believe it's a new position. We're going to, of course, if the kids aren't interested, we’re not going to force them, you're going to go even if you don’t like these people. But we do have some kids that actually come up to me and ask about it. They want to blend the technology stuff and do some podcasts.
There's a couple of them, think we'll get a couple of them here on Fridays to do music. On the off Fridays, there's too much going on with the meal. But we had one of the senior men, a real classical guitarist, and he was in here one Friday. This room has great acoustics. I talked to one of the girls, 18-year-old girl who sings, and I think is going to a music college. Got a guy here in town that plays guitar a lot and he's off on Fridays and they perform together. They're going to come in on a Fridays and do some music and that's very cool.
We have other things in the summer when there's some of the out-of-towners are here. We have four tables of bridge in here on Thursday. They're in here for I think like four hours. They draw and they rotate who's hosting. They come in early, and these are all the, it's pretty fun. And we have exercise programs. Some of the ladies come in here and just put puzzles together. And that would typically be on Wednesday and Friday afternoon. And then we have ladies that like to knit or work on quilting squares.
Kate: Got a call?
Rick: No, it'll be a deputy tone. And then Lori's starting the exercise program on Wednesdays and Fridays. So anyway, it's just going to grow. Certain things we realize we don't do. It's just not time. We can't do transportation. We can't do those things. That's okay. That's not what's critical is what we saw today. This was a very vibrant lunch today.
Kate: Yeah, it was packed.
Rick: I think probably the best one we've had.
Kate: Really?
Rick: It was a little more energy. Not to mention it was absolutely full to a chair. That was very awesome, very awesome. And then we maintain, I don't know, we'll see what the final count was. We deliver usually about sixteen lunches, I think. Some people come and go. I don’t know, I wasn't out there but we've been feeding about 65 in the off-season. During the on-season, I think we had like 90 to 100 so that's a lot in a community this size. That's a lot of folks.
Kate: It is, yeah. It's great.
Rick: So anyway.
Kate: Is that it? That's the story?
Rick: I guess that's my story.
Kate: Okay, thank you.
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Kate: Okay, I'm here now with Anne, who is the cook for the Senior Lunch. So, how did you get started in being the cook here?
Anne: The grassroots organization that started Senior Connections asked me to be the cook because of my reputation cooking at restaurants and doing catering. For a while before we had the cafeteria at the school, food was brought in for school lunch.
Kate: Oh wow, okay.
Anne: I'm fearless, and I'm easy to work with and flexible. So, I was perfect for this job.
Kate: Cool! What kind of stuff do people like to have for lunch?
Anne: Well, it seems like today was ham and sweet potatoes and green beans, which is very straightforward. I don't think curries and lentil stews are very good.
Kate: Not very popular?
Anne: Yeah, they don't get the draw, but people enjoy it when we have them. I really feel like it's important to feed everybody healthy. We have one man who's gluten-free and dairy-free. We accommodate him, and I'm trying to get more people who have dietary restrictions because the really important part of the Senior Lunch program is the mental health benefits that everybody gets. To me, anybody who lives in Lake City likes to spend time by themselves.
Kate: That's why they're here.
Anne: Yeah, and they're probably a little bit strange. Gathering together occasionally is so good for us all. Some people, have everybody has an excuse of why they can't join. I want to knock that one of dietary issues out.
Kate: You'll make anything that people need?
Anne: Vegetarian…
Kate: You can make special things for people when they come?
Anne: Yeah.
Kate: Okay, that's wonderful So you what do you get out of doing this personally? It must be a lot of work. You have to get here early and get all the food and all that, right? That must be a lot of work.
Anne: We have working equipment in the kitchen now, so we have a new refrigerator. I can come straight from the Country Store where we get the food here with the groceries now. Before, I was taking some of it to my house, and finding room, and doing some prep there. Now that our kitchen's fully functioning, it's great here. I love feeding people. That's my love language. So, I'm doing a lot, cooking for people without it being organized. And here, this is great. Everybody comes to one place. I've gotten to know a lot of the seniors. It's a challenge. The first meal we had, I don't know if I really cooked a meal, a hot meal for 60 people or however many it was that time. The more people we have involved the less it is per meal per person for food costs. Today, the food cost was way less than the five dollars a plate people paid. This is just perfect for me because it's a challenge. It's exciting. Can I pull this off? Is this just the right amount? You know?
Kate: Yeah. You let people take leftovers home, right? They just take what they want?
Anne: Yeah.
Kate: That's terrific.
Anne: We try to have it be a portion just for the lunch, but we also do delivery and grab and go
Kate: So, whatever works for people.
Anne: All the volunteers, I think have such good benefits from being involved. One of my friends just started delivering the food today, and she's going to be great to see people who don't get out much might also need ice removal or snow removal from their front door.
Kate: They can check on them?
Anne: Or trash taken, or she can have her eyes out for any other issues.
Kate: That's a good idea.
Anne: I mean, this is such a small community and a lot of us need a little extra help, but most all of us don't want to ask for it. There's a lot of people who have one or two friends, and then they know everybody else, but to have an extra layer of community support throughout, I think is really good. We have a new Senior Coordinator, Brooke, who's amazing. Both of us think that if we can bring a cross-generational variant into it, connecting the school with the seniors, that that could be really special. A lot of the kids don't have grandparents here or cousins or family. Besides their parents, they don't have other adults in their life besides their teachers who are caring about them. I think before Christmas, the preschool came over and did letters to Santa and they sang a song for the seniors.
Kate: Oh, that’s nice. That's fun. That's a great idea. Thank you. Thanks for talking to me.
Anne: Yeah, definitely.
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Kate: So, now this is a few days later after Senior Lunch and I have the chance to talk with Brooke, is the Hinsdale County Senior Resource Coordinator and Health Educator. Is that right?
Brooke: Yes.
Kate: Okay.
Brooke: That about sums it up.
Kate: Thank you. Thanks for talking with me. I know that you're pretty new at this job that you just started a few months ago. I wanted to ask why you wanted to apply for this job and what appealed to you about it?
Brooke: So, my move to Lake City was kind of a quick deal. I wasn't planning on moving here until about a month before I did. So, I was scrambling, and I saw this job pop up, and I was in talking to the county office, and they were like, you should go for it. But when I set out, and I said I want a job where I can make a difference. I didn't want just, you know, any regular job, I guess. It kind of just felt right.
Kate: Yeah. Have you done this kind of thing before?
Brooke: I have not. I worked at a chiropractor's office for a number of years, and most of the clientele were our elderly community members. I mean, I feel like that gave me a lot of just interpersonal communication skills that with this…
Kate: This group?
Brooke: Yes, this group, this population.
Kate: What do you like most about this job?
Brooke: Well, really everybody is so excited about what's happening up here in Lake City, and so that's just really encouraging. And to be around just a lot of energy, and they all have a good focus on what they want to see done. It's just nice to be around such positivity and trying to help get something off the ground.
Kate: Yeah, that's always fun. Besides Senior Connections and all those activities that are happening at the Armory, what other services are available for seniors through the County Health Department?
Brooke: With us being so remote, we really kind of have a hard time retaining good people up here for home health care, and just the lack of housing is kind of a barrier as well. We are able to offer some homemaker services. That's like light housework, and we can get people to where they need to go. It's pretty minimal. The region, we work through Region 10, has six counties I believe they're working with. The funds are pretty limited, but the most hours they'll approve is about six hours a month. But sometimes, that's just what people need just to get them through it and get them over that hump of needs if they don't have other outside family or friends willing to help. We just got that going again. It's been a challenge from what I hear. I was glad to actually get a homemaker willing to work. We also have a food bank up here. Other than that, it's pretty limited.
Kate: Yeah, I get it. We heard from a lot of people at the lunch that said that more and more people were starting to come that people were initially, I think the word was bashful, and that it's become a more known thing and more popular events are happening. I wanted to ask if you ever have a chance to talk to somebody who doesn't want to go, what do you tell them to try to encourage them to come? Or what do you think has been a successful approach to get people to come?
Brooke: Light badgering. Really, it's when their neighbor comes or somebody they know, and they can come along with them. I don't think anybody wants to just walk through that door by themselves because you are kind of walking into a room full of people. So, that's been beneficial, and we have a couple of members on the Senior Connections Committee that just really like to call people a lot. Sometimes they can only resist for so long, or you just kind of wear them down, and then they're there. They realize it's not so bad and that they're actually enjoying themselves, and maybe this is a good thing. That's fun to see.
Kate: Yeah, it becomes a habit eventually.
Brooke: Yes.
Kate: Yeah, that's great. Well, what else? I have another question, I guess, is kind of random. This is the first time I've ever been here in winter, and my dad always talks about this is his favorite time of year. I've always been a little baffled by that. What do people do in general here to get through such a long and really brutal winter? Because it is, realized, you know, the nice weather here is only like a few months, I guess. I don't know. It's just a whole lot of winter, and I know it's really tough for people. I kind of wondered what other things people do to get through it. I guess you haven't been here too long.
Brooke: No, this is my first winter too, but I know a lot of people enjoy the cold weather, which sounds really strange. You've picked a really fun week to be here. This is as cold as it's been.
Kate: I know.
Brooke: This is brutal cold.
Kate: There's a polar vortex.
Brooke: Yeah, it's across the United States. I mean, at least I could feel not so bad about that. It's not normal weather. But I guess you got to find indoor activities, and that's what we're trying to get going to besides just the lunches. I'm not sure if other guests had commented on what we're doing with that. But you know, we've got Silver Sneakers starting up this week and we have other time set aside just for indoor deals like games and crafting and there's all sorts of those kind of things.
But I think too, just having a dedicated space for those kinds of things. Having the senior center open, we have it open 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday through Friday. So, if we could just schedule a bunch of stuff in, that's what I'm trying to do right now. Just just fill it up, and if nobody comes, nobody comes, but at least there's the opportunity to get out and not be isolated in your home, especially when you can't be outside.
Kate: Yeah, for sure. I recently went to dinner to friends of my parents who live across the street, and that was really fun. There were a few neighbors there. I think that it's really great that people stay connected that way. I realized too that my stepmother is texting her neighbors all evening. Even though they live right next door, they still check in with each other, it seems like basically every day. I thought that was really sweet.
Brooke: Yeah, that is.
Kate: It's nice to see that people really look out for each other here in the winter and make sure that everybody's okay. So, that's nice.
Booke: Yeah, it is. It's a special place up here. That's for sure.
Kate: It is. Well, that's all that's all I have. Do you have anything else you want to tell us?
Brooke: No, no.
Kate: Okay. Alright. Well, thank you. I really, really appreciate it.
Brooke: Yeah. Thank you. I'm looking forward to hearing this.
Kate: Thanks.
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Kate: I hope you enjoyed this very special episode. I know a lot of us are suffering through a polar vortex right now, but I hope that wherever you are, you're not letting your heart grow cold despite everything that's happening in the world right now. If you're an introvert like me, I encourage you to get out of your comfort zone, join something new, and make some new friends. I know that you won't regret it.
You've been listening to the Pass It On podcast. This episode was produced by me, Kate Stewart. The song you're listening to is opened up by Austin Stewart, my brother, from his album, Shake It Out. I hope you enjoyed this episode. I hope you learned something useful, and I hope you pass it on.
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