ERIE COUNTY SENIOR MARCH EDITION SERVICES VOLUME 1, ISSUE 6 MONTHLY MAGAZINE Erie County Senior Services will continue offering The Frozen Meal Pick up program !! Stay fit dining reopening !!! A full list of the Frozen Meal Program and Stay fit Dining Sites can be found in this edition A message from Erie County Senior Services Commissioner David Shenk: “The frozen meal pick up program is a great option to reduce food inse- INSIDE THIS ISSUE curities among older adults especially during the pandemic and winter RSVP ......................................2 season. Through the weekly pick up, staff is also able to provide a brief MONTHLY RECIPE ............3 wellness check in an effort to combat social isolation. We will also con- UNIVERSITY EXPRESS ....4 tinue to offer monthly nutrition handouts and updates on upcoming NUTRITION MENU .............5 events within the department to encourage seniors to stay connected” STAY FIT DINNNG SITES 6 FROZEN MEAL SITES .......7 FROZEN MEAL MENU ......8 The mission of the Department of Senior Services is to promote the well being of all FROZEN MEAL MENU…… 9 older adults through coordinated and cost effective services which enhance their inde- CLUB 99…………………………. 10 pendence, dignity, and quality of life. AGING MASTERY ...............11 We hear amazing stories from our volunteers about what motivates them to serve. Some are looking for op- portunities to make new friends, while others want to dedicate their time and talent to a cause that’s deeply meaningful to them. Usually, there are many reasons why people choose to volunteer! One of the most profoundly moving reasons we’ve heard came this past fall while delivering a thank you gift bag during our Volunteer Tribute Day to a volunteer in her 90s. As we stood on her porch, six feet away and masked, this 30+ year volunteer shared why she volunteers, and it has something to do with luck. “I have felt blessed in my life and want to give back,” she said simply when asked what motivated her to keep volunteering after all these years. There are lots of ways people talk about blessings. Maybe some of it has to do with luck—whether Irish or otherwise! Many of our volunteers have shared similar sentiments as they focus on the positive things in their lives—the lucky coincidences and opportunities that have led to great relationships, wonderful careers, and warm friendships. They also express the gratitude they feel for the luck and blessings they have experi- enced leads them to want to give back. Volunteering is about giving and serving others. Each year, RSVP members bring a little luck into the lives of those they encounter, whether it’s leading a tour of school children at one of our amazing cultural institutions in Western New York or driving a neighbor to a doctor’s appointment or a haircut. So we encourage you to consider sharing your time and your talents with those who can benefit. Whether working with refugees, with schoolchildren, wildlife, or with Veterans—you can make our community a luckier place to be for those around you! Contact RSVP today at [email protected] or call 716-858-7548 to join an upcoming orientation session to learn more about volunteering. 2 RECIPE OF THE MONTH Cake Mix Peanut Butter Cookies Not only are these homemade peanut butter cookies quick and easy to make, they are exceptionally soft and delicious, thanks to a secret ingredient! You only need 4 sim- ple ingredients to pull this recipe together: a box of yellow cake mix, peanut butter, two eggs and a half of a cup of vegetable oil. Ingredients 1 box yellow cake mix 1 cup peanut butter 2 eggs 1/2 cup oil Instructions Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, mix together the peanut butter, eggs, and oil until well combined. Slowly, add the contents of the dry cake mix to the batter and mix until you get a thick cookie dough. Use your hands to make 15 even balls , then line them up on your baking sheet. Next, use a fork and make a crisscross pattern and bake for 10-15 minutes, or until they start to turn slightly brown. You may never make peanut butter cookies again without cake mix! Serving: 15 cookies ENJOY…stay well, and look for a delicious new recipe next month! 3 UNIVERSITY EXPRESS Greetings from University Express! We hope you are staying warm and busy. There are plenty of recordings on our website for you to watch, including two new things! Click here to pursue the list. Stay tuned for some recorded interviews with our instructors! Do you like to read the classics and wish you had others to share your thoughts with?! You should join our virtual Classics Book Club! We are looking for new members. Past books include Madame Bovary, “Death of a Salesman”, and A Tale of Two Cities. Email Katie Earl at [email protected] to join! 4 NUTRITION PLEASE NOTE: TOWN OF TONAWANDA AND AMHERST SENIOR CEN- TERS HAVE A DIFFERENT MENU . We have some exciting news to share with everyone! After pausing for 3 months, Stay Fit Con- gregate Dining Program has the green light to reopen. The re openings began Monday, Febru- ary 22nd at several senior centers across Erie County. Check with your local senior center for additional details. Re-opening guidelines with respect to capacity, sanitizing and postings will be in place. For in- stance, masks have to be worn upon entry to the building until seated at the table, and seats are spaced 6 feet apart. We are also pleased to continue offering frozen meals at our participating sites. Therefore, you will have the flexibility to dine-in at the site AND order frozen meals if you wish to do so! For questions about the congregate dining or frozen meal program, please contact us at 858- 7639. 5 We look forward to seeing all of you at the senior centers again! STAY FIT SENIOR DINING SITES OPEN AS OF MARCH 1ST Akron– Newstead Senior Center Amherst Senior Center Baptist Manor Boston Senior Center Clarence Senior Center Concord Nutrition Site Lancaster Senior Center Maryvale east Complex (Moorman) Northwest Buffalo Community Center Orchard Park Senior Center Sloan Senior Center Town of Aurora Senior Center Town of Hamburg Senior Center Violet Housing West Seneca Senior Center Additional locations are expected to open in the coming weeks. All locations will follow NYSDOH and CDC indoor dining guidelines. This program provides a safe social setting to help reverse the pandemic’s isolating side effects in our older adult community. For more information or to register, call 858-7639. 6 SENIOR CENTERS THAT OFFER THE FROZEN MEAL PICK UP PROGRAM AKRON NEWSTEAD SENIOR CENTER AMHERST SENIOR CENTER BAPTIST MANOR BOSTON SENIOR CENTER CAYUGA VILLAGE APARTMENTS CHEEKTOWAGA SENIOR CENTER CLARENCE SENIOR CENTER CONCORD NUTRITION SITE FRIENDS TO THE ELDERLY LANCASTER SENIOR CENTER MARYVALE EAST SENIOR COMPLEX (MOORMAN) NORTHWEST COMMUNITY CENTER ORCHARD PARK SENIOR CENTER SALVATION ARMY TONAWANDA SCHILLER PARK SLOAN SENIOR CENTER TOSH COLLINS CENTER TOWN OF AURORA SENIOR CENTER TOWN OF EVANS SENIOR CENTER TOWN OF MARILLA SENIOR CENTER TOWN OF TONAWANDA SENIOR CENTER UNITED CHURCH MANOR VIOLET HOUSING WEST SENECA SENIOR CENTER WILLIAM-EMSLIE YMCA WILLIAMSTOWNE VILLAGE PLEASE NOTE: TOWN OF TONAWANDA SENIOR CENTER AND AMHERST SENIOR CENTER HAVE A DIFFENT MENU. 7 Erie County Stay Fit Dining Program Frozen Meals Menu – March 2021 TOWN OF TONAWANDA AND AMHERST SENIOR CENTER HAVE DIFFERENT MENU. The Erie County Stay Fit Dining Program is pleased to announce that we will be continuing to of- fer the Frozen Meal Pick up program. The program is currently offered at 27 locations across Erie County. The list continues to expand, be sure to inquire with your local senior center for the latest information. The meals are offered in 3, 5, 6, 8 and 10 pack varieties. The 3, 6, and 8 packs will have some combination of the meals offered in the 5 pack. The 10 pack will have 2 identical 5 packs. Each meal will include a roll, milk, and dessert. Check out the menu below for the March Frozen Meal menu. March Five Pack Meal Menus Meals for Week of March 1st Breaded Chicken Breast with Herb Gravy, Roasted Potatoes, French Bean Medley Stuffed Shells with Tomato Meat Sauce, Seasoned Spinach with Mushrooms, Cauliflower Pork Ribette with BBQ Sauce, Scalloped Potatoes, Peas with Red Pepper Beer Battered Fish, Broccoli, Zucchini with Diced Tomatoes Roast Beef with Gravy, Cheesy Mashed Potatoes, California Vegetable Blend Meals for Week of March 8th Baked Ham with Pineapple Sauce, Mashed Potatoes, Peas Breaded Chicken Drumsticks, Spanish Rice, Peas & Corn Cheese Tortellini with Cheese Sauce, Carrots, Mixed Vegetables Turkey with Gravy, Sweet Potatoes, Green Bean Casserole Vegetable Quiche with Cheese Sauce, Harvard Beets, Broccoli 8 Erie County Stay Fit Dining Program Frozen Meals Menu – March 2021 TOWN OF TONAWANDA AND AMHERST SENIOR CENTER HAVE A DIFFERENT MENU. Meals for Week of March 15th Polynesian Chicken with Rice, California Vegetable Blend Sloppy Joe, Roasted Potatoes, Carrots Roast Beef with Gravy, Cheesy Mashed Potatoes, Broccoli Stuffed Pepper with Tomato Meat Sauce, Mashed Potatoes, Wax Beans Beer Battered Fish, Broccoli Cheese Rice Casserole, Mixed Vegetables Meals for Week of March 22nd Meatballs with Tomato Sauce & Mozzarella, Cauliflower, Seasoned Spinach Buffalo-style Chicken Breast, Fiesta Corn, Broccoli Turkey with Gravy, Mashed Sweet Potatoes, Peas Beef Stew with a Biscuit, Mashed Potatoes Macaroni & Cheese, Zucchini with Tomatoes, Green Beans Meals for Week of March 29th Turkey a la King, Mashed Potatoes, Carrots Baked Ham with Maple Glaze, Scalloped Potatoes, Peas Roast Beef with Onion Gravy, Mashed Sweet Potatoes, Brussels Sprouts Eggplant Parmigiana, Broccoli, Cannellini Beans Baked Fish with Pineapple Salsa, Rice Pilaf, Green Beans 9 CLUB 99 Leap into the month of March like a Leprechaun.