I was properly introduced to La Comida through my friend, Luba, who had been volunteering with La Comida weekly. One day, she brought me with her to La Comida and introduced me to Mary Ruth, the site manager. I got a warm welcome and I decided to start volunteering for them every Monday — I was also helping out with the Senior Friendship Day program, where La Comida served meals. That was over 16 years ago; I just stopped volunteering a few months ago because of the pandemic.
As a volunteer, I would do whatever needed doing: I would set tables, serve food, work the front desk, and even provide language translation for diners who only spoke Mandarin.
The food is an important part of La Comida, but I believe the community is what keeps many diners engaged. The communal dining rooms were set up so that diners were able to meet new people, some of whom even became close friends while they ate. If a regular diner had been missing for a while, everyone would check in with each other to see if anyone knew where they went. If we found out that they went away on holiday to see their family, for example, we were happy for them. If they were sick, we would call them to wish them well. Day by day, year by year, La Comida started to feel like a big family.
Shutting down the dining rooms was disappointing, but we knew we had to put the health of the diners first during this troubling time. Seniors are at the most risk of getting very sick from COVID-19, so we were very quick to comply with all public health guidelines. Some seniors can cook their own food at home, but a lot of our diners rely on La Comida for nutritious meals. I am very thankful that the La Comida board decided to continue serving meals “to go” everyday outside Stevenson House and the Masonic Center, and to the kitchen staff for continuing to cook meals. I want to salute all the heroes who are still working today.