BENSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — The City of Benson is combating isolation for seniors in the community with its weekly Lunchtime Connect program.
Melanie Hernandez, recreation supervisor for the City of Benson, said nonemergency calls have gone down 75% since most of them were from elderly people who were lonely. Since the program started a year ago, participation has grown about 600%.
"It does seem to be growing every week we meet new people who have not ever come out before," Hernandez said.
The program feeds between 150 and 200 people every week.
"It's really just given people that opportunity to get out and meet other people," Hernandez said. "We've seen friendships of people who didn't know each other before, and now they came and they met here over lunch, and now they carpool together."
Benson resident Ruthann Westerman comes to the community center every Friday for lunch.
"I don't go anywhere except here on Fridays," Westerman said. "This is the only time, and I've made a lot of nice friends. The town just needs it for everybody to get together and not worry about anything except having a nice visit.”
She is losing her sight and is deaf, making cooking a challenge for her.
"I cook meals, but they're not anything as good as this," Westerman said. "Especially their nachos. They make the best nachos."
"I didn't get out very much, but this I know I'm going to be at least one day a week, I'm going to be out visiting," Westerman said. "I really like it, and like I said, Everybody's just all so friendly."
The city set aside money for the program, but community sponsors and donations keep it going.
"We need people to invest in this program because it's been so successful, and it continues to grow, and we don't ever want to have to turn someone away because we didn't have the money to purchase that food, or we didn't have the volunteers or the staff to be able to serve it that day," Hernandez said.
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Alexis Ramanjulu is a reporter in Cochise County for KGUN 9. She began her journalism career reporting for the Herald/Review in Sierra Vista, which she also calls home. Share your story ideas with Alexis by emailing alexis.ramanjulu@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook.
