Leavenworth Senior Center brings community together with weekly lunches

LEAVENWORTH – Every Wednesday, the Senior Center offers a chance for seniors to connect with one another over a nutritious, home-cooked meal.

The weekly meals are $8 for seniors, subsidized by funding support from the City of Leavenworth and various donors. They are made by scratch by saucier chef Jenny Hoffman, who runs her own catering business, Whatcha Got Cookin’. 

Hoffman will prepare nostalgic classics like lasagna or pot roast alongside global dishes such as Chicken Tikka Masala, evoking memories of travel for some guests. All the meals are made with quality ingredients with nutrition in mind.

“Everything I try and do from scratch…I try and do as much as possible to kind of keep that nutrition and balance, so people are getting healthy meals and they're balanced. We've got some type of nice protein, starch, vegetable, fruit, so we kind of hit all those categories and

a well rounded meal,” said Hoffman.

While Wednesdays at the Senior Center is where to find a good meal, it’s also a place for seniors to get out of the house, meet up with old friends, and make new ones. When Hoffman started, she signed up her mother-in-law, who lives in Merritt and, in her 80s, wasn’t able to socialize much outside of family.

“She comes here to be able to talk with other people and have a social life, and have a community of people that are her age. She looks forward to coming every Wednesday to be able to get out of the house. And, she found out that she's related to somebody here, there's family history that goes back down the line,” said Hoffman.

Reunions and coincidental meetings happen all the time at the Senior Center lunches. About a month ago, Bob Perleberg reconnected with the widow of his former dentist, and was able to make a connection with another longtime local resident.

“I enjoy the people here. About less than a month ago, there was a lady sitting over the table. She looked at me. She said, ‘I know you...My husband was a dentist, and you were one of his patients,” said Perleberg. “I told her one of his hygienists works for the current dentist that I go to, so they still have a tie together."

For Sally Monsey, the Senior Center became a place to meet new people after she lost her husband and returned to her hometown eight years ago. Having grown up in Leavenworth, Monsey fondly remembers participating in Rainbow Girls, a Masonic youth service organization, at the Senior Center building in the 1950s.

“The town has grown so much, and it gives the people moving in a good opportunity to meet, because we have so many retired people who have moved into the area,” said Monsey. “They come from all walks of life. We've had doctors and dentists and pharmacists and teachers and lawyers. You name it, we've had it here. So it's a good cross section of people in town.”

When she started attending the lunch eight years ago, she connected with local architect Ray Monsey, and the two married. Although Ray passed away in January, Sally Monsey still attends every Wednesday with her friends and family members, and just became a board member for the senior center.

“It's fun to get together. It's the camaraderie. I think it's important for the seniors to get out and participate in the city and just meet and greet so many seniors…I think this is a good way for them to be out, being with people,” said Monsey.

On Dec. 18, the Senior Center will host its Christmas lunch free of charge to seniors. Hoffman plans to brine the turkey for 24-hours with orange, clove and cinnamon, and finish it with a homemade sage butter. The turkey will be accompanied by holiday classic dishes.

“Our focus is to just get people to sit down, to share the holiday season together, and to see old friends,” said Corky Broaddus, a Senior Center Board Member and former president.

Wednesday lunches are open to anyone over the age of 50. To attend, the Senior Center asks that reservations be made by Tuesdays at noon by calling 509-548-6666. Reservations for the Christmas lunch should be made earlier in advance.

Taylor Caldwell: 509-433-7276 or taylor@ward.media