Lisa Berkowitz has been with Meals on Wheels practically from the start. She moved to the area in 1977, a year after the program began distributing food to senior citizens throughout Santa Cruz County.
Now after 30 years — and a staggering 8 million meals served — Berkowitz still enjoys her job.
“I still love what I do,” she said. “Making a difference in people’s lives, helping them, it’s very rewarding.”
Berkowitz works at the Live Oak Senior Center in Santa Cruz, headquarters to the Meals on Wheels of Santa Cruz kitchen. The program provides an average of 900 meals a day to local seniors.
At the kitchen, 165 volunteers and employees start the day at 6:30 a.m. cooking and packaging each meal. Meals are delivered to Live Oak, Santa Cruz Elder Day Care, Watsonville Senior Center, Louden Nelson Community Center and the Highlands Park Senior Center in Ben Lomond.
“It’s a big coordination effort, a lot of regulations, individual (specifications),” says Berkowitz, adding, “We can always use more volunteers.”
Berkowitz served 17 years as Meals on Wheels food service director and then became program director in 1997.
As part of her job, Berkowitz oversees the local division of Meals on Wheels at the Highlands Park Senior Center in Ben Lomond, where 10 to 20 seniors go to lunch every weekday.
“It’s so much fun up here; we’re such a family,” said site manager Carol Childers. “I get called mother (by) people older than my parents,” she adds with a laugh.
The family atmosphere is evident; everyone is on a first-name basis, and mingling is part of the experience.
“People are here to visit, not just to eat,” Childers said, after finishing an animated game of cribbage with a few seniors.
Recent events included performances by a ukulele club, an instructional talk on healthy eating and something called “yoga for drivers.”
Birthdays are celebrated on the last Friday of each month with a special meal, complete with birthday cake, and there are “Burger Days,” when seniors share condiments to top off the burgers. As Childers said, it’s a fun place to be.
Meals on Wheels at the senior center is open to people of all backgrounds — the only requirement is to be older than 60.
“We have people of all incomes, all social statuses,” Childers said of the daily lunches.
There’s a voluntary $2.50 donation per meal, and free Liftline transportation is available from almost anywhere in the San Lorenzo Valley or Scotts Valley.
“We don’t want (transportation) to become a barrier to coming in and seeing friends,” said Childers.
Berkowitz said Meals on Wheels allows seniors to stay in their own homes and to remain independent.
“They have given a lot to the community; this is an opportunity for us to give back.”
At a glance
To have lunch or request transportation, seniors may contact the Highlands Park Senior Center at 336-8900 to make a reservation, 24-hours in advance.
