Success Stories 2026

The ONEgeneration Wilkinson Senior Center recently celebrated its annual Valentine’s Dance. Seniors enjoyed a delicious salmon dish, great music, and a live band hosted by the senior center. The energy in the room was wonderful, with seniors excited to dance, socialize, and connect with one another.

We were proud to provide 125 meals for this special event. It was also a beautiful intergenerational gathering, as many family members accompanied their loved ones to share in the celebration. Families enjoyed dancing together, listening to the band, and learning more about the programs and services we offer, while meeting other seniors in the community.

One of our regular participants, Jerutha Harvey, attends multiple classes and is an active member of our lunch program. She loves starting her mornings with stretching, joining classes, and socializing with friends. She shared that the center and dances are "great", she has met so many wonderful people, enjoyed delicious meals, and has even learned Spanish!

At ONEgeneration Wilkinson Senior Center, we are proud to celebrate our seniors and remain committed to creating meaningful experiences that foster connection, joy, and community.

At the Jona Goldrich Multipurpose Center, the senior nutrition program is often a lifeline. It may be the only hot meal and social interaction many older adults receive that day. Beyond nutrition, the Center offers a welcoming space where participants are greeted by name, encouraged to connect, and reminded that they matter. As part of Jewish Family Service LA (JFSLA), the senior nutrition program is guided by long-standing values of community care and respect for older adults.

Meals are prepared in a neighboring production kitchen that follows Kosher dietary standards, including the extensive annual process required to make food Kosher for Passover. This process involves deep cleaning, special preparation, and even the use of a blow torch by the mashgiach, who ensures kosher dietary laws are followed. Throughout the year, JFSLA hosts large, joyful holiday celebrations such as Hanukkah, Christmas, Cesar Chavez Day, MLK Day, and Passover, creating moments of warmth, tradition, and togetherness.

While Jewish cultural roots are an important aspect, the program is fully inclusive, welcoming seniors from all backgrounds. In addition to daily nutritious meals, the site also offers transportation services, social work services, exercise classes, movies, and cultural celebrations. Through shared meals, supportive services, and meaningful programming, the senior nutrition program helps reduce social isolation and fosters a strong sense of belonging for the seniors served by JFSLA.

The Mexican American Opportunity Foundation (MAOF) partnered with the City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks, Council District 1, and the Glassell Park Improvement Association to host a Senior Resource Fair on February 18. The fair connected seniors with local partners dedicated to helping them live their best, most independent lives. About 80 seniors attended to learn about the resources available to them. Each senior received lunch and a box full of vegetables and fruits. MAOF also provided assistive devices for seniors in need.

Valley InterCommunity Council's (VIC) Sherman Oaks East Valley Adult Center recently hosted its first "Holi Celebration," bringing together approximately 80 older adults, family members, and community participants for a joyful intergenerational gathering. Holi is a traditional Indian spring festival celebrating renewal, connection, and the triumph of light and goodness. Attendees enjoyed traditional sweets, vibrant art, music, and joyful activities that encouraged movement and cultural appreciation.

VIC was honored to be joined by six community sponsors and partners who funded the event and whose support uplifted the spirit of the celebration and furthered our mission by fostering socialization, cultural engagement, and wellness. The celebration concluded with an opportunity drawing and plenty of shared laughter. It was a truly joyful day that brought older adults and the community together in joy!

The Santa Clarita Senior Center at Bella Vida provides a wide range of supports and services in a welcoming and inclusive environment for older adults in the Santa Clarita community. The Center offers congregate and home-delivered meal services, information and assistance, wellness programs, caregiver resources, transportation services, recreation activities, exercise programs, and more. The congregate meal program is consistently well attended, serving over 250 older adults per day, and provides meaningful volunteer opportunities for older adults. Congregate meals are served restaurant‑style by volunteer "waitstaff," creating a warm and engaging dining experience.

The Center hosts several annual special events, including an in-person Thanksgiving Day dinner and a Veterans Day meal and program honoring all veterans in attendance. Beyond its regular programming, the Center has a strong reputation for exceptional community partnership during emergencies. During the COVID‑19 pandemic, the Center introduced outdoor concerts in their parking lot to support social connection and community morale. These events became so popular that they continued after the Center reopened post‑pandemic.

And during the devastating January 2025 firestorms, Bella Vida staff deployed buses to a senior apartment building where many of their home-delivered meal clients live, to transport residents to a local Red Cross shelter. Staff also provided meals for seniors throughout their stay in the shelter.

The Loma Alta Park Senior Center was established as a critical community hub for older adults in the Altadena area following the destruction of the Altadena Senior Center in the Eaton Fire of January 2025. The Altadena Senior Center provided essential services and programs, including the congregate meals program and a dedicated space for older adults and individuals with disabilities, that promoted the health and well‑being of older adults in the community.

A strong collaboration between the Los Angeles County Aging & Disabilities Department (PSA 19) and the Parks and Recreation Department resulted in the establishment of the Loma Alta Park Senior Center to provide a safe space and continue services previously available at the Altadena Senior Center, such as wellness classes, support workshops, and grab‑and‑go meals. These programs continue to play an important role in ensuring that older adults remain supported, connected, and engaged throughout the community’s recovery efforts.

From Recovery to Community: Manuel Arroyo’s Journey

In 2024, Manuel Arroyo began his journey with ONEgeneration through the Home-Delivered Meals (HDM) Program. At the time, he was placed on bed rest due to a serious infection that left him temporarily unable to walk. During this challenging period, proper nutrition and reliable support were essential to his recovery.

Manuel’s infection required him to remain on bed rest for two months. Unable to leave his home or prepare meals for himself, he faced the physical and emotional strain that often accompanies sudden health setbacks and isolation.

Through the HDM Program, Manuel received consistent, nutritious meals delivered directly to his home. The program ensured he maintained proper nutrition during his recovery while also providing reassurance that he was not alone during this difficult time.

After two months, Manuel’s infection cleared, and he was medically approved to resume normal activity. With encouragement and guidance from staff, he transitioned from the HDM Program to the congregate site at Las Palmas Park. This marked an important milestone in his recovery, allowing him to regain independence and re-engage socially.

Today, Manuel walks from his home to Las Palmas Park, a meaningful sign of how far he has come in his recovery. He enjoys sharing meals with friends at the congregate site and values the sense of community he has found. After the meal service concludes, he often heads to the billiards area, where he plays and spends time with friends. What began as essential support during a medical setback has grown into an active, social, and fulfilling daily routine.

Los Abuelitos Senior Apartments is a standout group dining partner because of its resident-led, culturally relevant, and wellness-focused approach.

Meal participants at Los Abuelitos and the other eight community dining sites operated by Meals on Wheels of the Monterey Peninsula (MOWMP), enjoy healthy, high-quality meals supported by Older Americans Act nutrition funding.

Many residents at Los Abuelitos are retired farm workers who actively tend to a shared community garden, growing fruits, vegetables, herbs, and flowers they enjoy together. This hands-on involvement supports physical activity, healthy eating, mental well-being, and social connection, while honoring lifelong skills and cultural traditions. Together, these efforts combine public investment in senior nutrition with strong participant engagement, turning group dining into a meaningful shared experience rooted in dignity, pride, and connection.

MOWSV stands out for the services they provide due to a number of factors. Every staff member and volunteer has a sincere care for how seniors are treated, strives to treat each client with dignity and compassion, and continuously steps up to make a positive impact on clients.

MOWSV has greatly expanded its home-delivered meals program over the past few years. A highlight for clients is the award-winning monthly "Arts & About" program where a local musician accompanies volunteers on their meal delivery route and performs "sidewalk serenades" for clients at their homes.

In addition to providing services through the home-delivered meals program and two congregate meal sites, MOWSV also hosts monthly "Senior Socials" at seven sites in collaboration with local non-profits that provide valuable information to the seniors. The Senior Socials reach an additional 500 seniors every month.

To enhance service in the community, MOWSV also collaborates with many other community-based organizations such Food Bank for Monterey County, SPCA for our AniMeals pet food program, Teddy Bears with Heart, and Second Bloom.

It’s not every day that strangers of all ages come together to share a sit-down meal, learn from each other, celebrate each other’s culture, and leave no longer strangers. This January, 77 older adults and 96 adults ranging from 18 to 91 years old from San Joaquin County participated in an Intergenerational Multicultural Night hosted by the University of the Pacific, Thomas J. Long School of Pharmacy and funded by Modernizing Older Californians Act – Nutrition. The event’s goals were to build understanding, respect, and acceptance; improve self-worth and self-esteem; and reduce social isolation.

At check-in, participants were assigned to a table to ensure various generations were represented. The room and tables were decorated with flags from around the world. The ambiance included music from the 40 countries that were represented that evening from Bangladesh to Zambia.

Conversations took place around the world map as people placed stickers to represent their heritage. At table P, conversations flowed naturally among the seven attendees. One participant wearing a beautiful Norwegian sweater, shared about Norwegian family hospitality. A conversation about Japanese kimonos inspired one adult to plan a visit to this year’s Obon Japanese Festival and Odori celebration to support the older adult who attends annually. An older adult learned from another older adult about Tai Chi at a community center and is glad she will already know someone on her first day. Two older adult retirees expressed they would like to contribute to their community, and an adult connected them with a volunteer opportunity.

Before and after enjoying a delicious and nutritious dinner, high school and university students performed Chinese, Filipino, Polynesian, and Vietnamese dances and songs. The night ended with a fashion show featuring older adults and adults modeling their country’s traditional clothes. It was a memorable night of connections, joy, celebration of cultures, and a delicious meal.

In rural Humboldt County, long distances, limited transportation, and geographic isolation create significant barriers for older adults seeking nutritious meals and social connection. The Humboldt Senior Resource Center’s (HSRC) Mobile Café Program addresses these challenges by bringing meals, community, and supportive services directly into rural and underserved areas.

The Mobile Café program delivers freshly prepared, nutritious meals to locations where traditional congregate dining sites are not accessible. By hosting consistent pop-up meal sites in community spaces such as grange halls and local centers, HSRC ensures older adults can participate without the burden of long or costly travel. These sites are intentionally welcoming, familiar, and easy to access, making participation possible for individuals who might otherwise go without regular meals.

The impact of the program extends well beyond nutrition. Many Mobile Café participants live alone and experience social isolation. The program creates regular opportunities for conversation, connection, and relationship-building. Participants frequently report that these gatherings improve their sense of well-being and provide an important routine and something to look forward to each week.

Mobile Café sites also function as critical access points to additional services. Staff and volunteers share information about nutrition programs, wellness activities, benefits counseling, and other aging services, helping rural residents remain informed and supported. For many participants, the Mobile Café is their primary connection to the broader senior services network.

Consistent attendance allows staff to build strong relationships with participants and notice changes in engagement or well-being. When someone stops attending unexpectedly, staff are often able to follow up and identify health concerns or unmet needs, allowing for timely support and referrals.

Demand for the Mobile Café program continues to grow as Humboldt County’s rural population ages.

The Mobile Café program reflects HSRC's commitment to meeting seniors where they are to reduce isolation, strengthen rural communities, and support older adults in aging with dignity, health, and connection.

Serving Up Solutions on the Coastside: How Senior Coastsiders Nourishes Health, Connection, and Independence

On the San Mateo County Coast—from Montara to Half Moon Bay—many older adults face barriers to maintaining good nutrition and staying socially connected. Limited transportation options, geographic isolation, and rising housing and living costs place older residents at higher risk of food insecurity and social isolation. At Senior Coastsiders, our Older Californians Nutrition Program (OCNP) is more than a meal service—it is a vital part of the community safety net that supports health, independence, and social connection for older adults living in this unique coastal region. Between July 2024 and June 2025, we prepared more than 66,000 meals from scratch in our commercial kitchen, which were either delivered to participants’ homes or served in our congregate dining room.

Through our home-delivered and congregate meal programs, we provide consistent, nutritious meals to older adults who may otherwise struggle to access regular food and meaningful social interaction. For many participants, daily meal delivery is their only regular point of contact with the outside world. Our drivers and volunteers do more than deliver food—they check in, notice changes in health, mobility, or living conditions, and alert our care management team when additional support may be needed. This coordinated, relationship-based approach supports aging in place and helps prevent emergencies.

We intentionally create opportunities for learning and inclusion through a monthly international meal that highlights cuisine and "fun facts" from different countries and cultures. In our dining room, we also host weekly live music, monthly birthday lunch celebrations, and visits from local library staff who facilitate book exchanges. These activities encourage conversation, shared experiences, and ongoing social engagement, and have become an important way to strengthen community and reduce isolation among participants.

Partnership is central to how we "serve up solutions" and strengthen local capacity. We work closely with two community organizations—Puente de la Costa Sur and Coastside Adult Day Health Center—to prepare and provide meals for their participants. In addition, our kitchen is used twice each week by two other nonprofits to prepare and serve community meals. OCNP funding has enhanced our ability to be nimble and responsive, allowing us to help partner organizations and extend the impact of healthy meals in our Coastside community.

We used nutrition infrastructure funding to purchase new dining room chairs and essential kitchen equipment, which improved the comfort and accessibility of our congregate dining space and expanded the functional capacity of our shared kitchen. By investing in infrastructure, this funding benefits multiple organizations and extends the reach of nutrition services well beyond a single program.

At Senior Coastsiders, "Serving Up Solutions" means using nutrition as a foundation for health, dignity, and belonging—while building partnerships and shared community infrastructure so older adults, and the wider Coastside community, can continue to thrive.

"I love to be here because it makes me happy and healthy."
– Rebeca Ugarte

Rebeca is an 83-year-old senior participant who attends the City of South San Francisco’s congregate meal program at the Roberta Cerri Teglia Center every Tuesday and Thursday. She lives alone and manages several health conditions, including high cholesterol and elevated blood sugar levels. Rebeca shared that preparing healthy meals for herself had become difficult, and like many older adults, she often relied on convenience foods that were high in sodium and low in nutritional value.

After learning about our congregate nutrition program, Rebeca started attending regularly. The program provides balanced, nutritious meals that meet Older Americans Act guidelines, focusing on fresh ingredients, lean proteins, whole grains, fruits, and vegetables.

After several months of consistently attending the meal program, Rebeca noticed positive changes in her health. During her annual checkup, she was happy to learn that her blood work showed great improvement. Her cholesterol levels had decreased so much that she only takes one pill to help regulate her cholesterol. Her blood sugar numbers were in range and her doctor told her she was doing great making healthier food choices and encouraged her to continue these healthy habits.

Our goal is to create a welcoming environment that encourages social engagement among participants. Rebeca has expressed how she loves coming to the congregate program to socialize with her peers while enjoying a warm, healthy meal. The program has helped her feel less isolated at home and has motivated her to keep attending to keep herself in great health both mentally and physically.