Nonprofit that serves meals to seniors begins operations out of Palo Alto’s new community center
Source: https://www.paloaltoonline.com/social-services/2026/06/03/la-comida-launches-its-next-chapter-in-new-bryant-street-home/
Ever since La Comida left its longtime home on Bryant Street a decade ago, it has endured a nomadic existence, shuttling between locations as it has striven to continue its mission of serving meals to low-income seniors.
The circumstances of its departure also left a bitter taste in the mouths of its many volunteers and patrons. Avenidas, the city preeminent senior-services nonprofit was renovating its Bryant Street headquarters, and it indicated that its reconfigured space would no longer have enough space to comfortably house the La Comida lunch programs, as it has since the 1970s.
The acrimonious split felt like ancient history on Tuesday, as La Comida volunteers served up meals – lemon chicken, quinoa, bok choi, a spring salad and pineapple — to dozens of diners at its new facility at 429 Bryant St. The nonprofit moved into the building, which is across the street from Avenidas, on May 11. For the first time in a while, it has a long-term home in the city’s new community center.
The move to Bryant Street marked a major milestone for La Comida, which has been relying on the generosity of local congregations to keep its downtown program going. That system had its limitations, said former Mayor Tom DuBois, who serves on the La Comida board and who helped look for a new space after the nonprofit left Bryant Street in 2017.
“A lot of places don’t have commercial kitchens that meet the county’s health requirements so that’s been part of the struggle and it’s also a big ask to have a space Monday to Friday most of the days of the year,” DuBois said.
For the City Council, finding La Comida a new home has been a persistent priority, one championed by both DuBois and Council member Lydia Kou. During the darkest days of the pandemic, La Comida limited its downtown program to takeout meals. When things got more or less back to normal, it brought back congregate dining. To do that, it leased auditorium space from the First United Methodist Church on Hamilton Avenue.
A more stable opportunity came up when Form Fitness moved out of the city-owned building at 429 Bryant St., creating an opportunity for La Comida to move in. The City Council last year approved a 10-year lease with the nonprofit, which on May 11 moved into the newly rehabilitated building.
The new La Comida dining room isn’t as spacious as the auditorium at the church, but it meets the organizations’ needs, said Shyla Duarte, program manager at La Comida. To accommodate its clients, La Comida splits the dining period into two shifts, early and late. Visitors receive lanyards that identify their shift.
“If you’re blue, you’re 11:15. If you’re pink, you’re 11:45,” Duarte said.
Now in its new home, La Comida is serving more than food. Duarte uses the space to arrange game nights, tea salons and other social activities. Participants are encouraged to socialize and develop new interests. Every Monday, they get treated to Tai Chi.
The two nonprofits are also working together to support each other’s programs, according to Bill Blodgett, a member of the La Comida board of directors and a longtime volunteer. During the Tuesday lunch service, numerous diners thanked him as they exited the senior center. He responded to one diner in English; to another in Chinese.
“It’s almost strange not to be in the hunting mode for serving space,” Blodgett said, when asked about the new location.
Under the city’s deal with La Comida, the nonprofit will be allowed to use the Bryant Street space every weekday until 2 p.m., both for its program and for other educational offerings. It accommodates about 120 diners at its downtown location. Meals are prepared at Stevenson House every morning and delivered in the morning to the Bryant Street community center.
The atmosphere at the Tuesday meal was convivial. The Bryant Street dining room was bustling but not overcrowded as people filtered in and out throughout the lunch period. One diner, Patricia, complimented the day’s menu selection and the comfortable setting. She touted the health benefits of kale and quinoa. She also lauded the new dining room, which she said was spacious and comfortable.
“It’s very nice. There’s plenty of room to walk with walkers and carry your groceries to and from,” she said.
While its new dining space is now secured, Blodgett noted that the nonprofit still faces headwinds when it comes to funding. To keep its operations going, La Comida relies largely on local and county grants, which have remained relatively flat while the cost of food has gone up.
“For the first time in our history, we’re placing a greater purpose on getting the word out about fundraising activity so we can make up for funding that isn’t coming from the county and city,” Blodgett said.
