Council on Aging, LaX Café form partnership for senior meals

Nearly 13 years ago, Julie Roberts, then a proprietor of the Dusty Café, said she and her family were humbled by an outpouring of community support when her daughter, Soni Broeckel, and Soni's cousin, Shyla Smith, were in a car accident that left them both seriously injured.

“This community absolutely pulled together and raised money and did silent auctions,” said Roberts.

Soni, then 14, and Shyla, then 13, were airlifted by Medstar helicopters to Sacred Heart in Spokane after both were ejected from a 1983 GMC truck on the Hay-LaCrosse Road south of LaCrosse.

Roberts said the community pulled together for support in that time while the family spent much of its time at the hospital.

“It was pretty humbling to be on the receiving end of that, and when we have the opportunity to give back it is great,” she said. “This town pulled together huge, and at some point when you're on the end of this pay it forward thing you have to pay it back.”

Roberts recently approached Council on Aging Executive Director Paige Collins with an idea to help expand opportunities for seniors in the community.

“There isn't a lot of stuff done for the seniors here, and I thought it might be a fun community thing to do,” said Roberts. “We're also part of this community, and that matters.”

The LaCrosse Café, recently reopened by Roberts, her mom Darlene Kates and Soni, is now partnering with the Council on Aging and COAST Transportation to bring senior meals to LaCrosse. It will be the first time the Council on Aging has partnered with a restaurant for a senior meal site.

“We're trying to support them with food so they don't lose anything on the deal,” said Collins. “They'll provide the restaurant and the kitchen.”

The first senior meal in LaCrosse will be Tuesday, March 21. Two more are scheduled, also on Tuesdays, for April 4 and 18.

“They're really quiet at the café on Tuesdays, so that's why they set it on Tuesday,” said Collins.

Collins said she is excited to see efforts in LaCrosse to serve the senior population there.

“LaCrosse is probably one of the most underserved communities in the county because it is so far west,” she said. “Hopefully it will just start to take off.”

For the senior meals, which are slated for noon on each of those three days, the Council on Aging will provide the food, COAST will provide free transportation to anyone in need of a ride and the café will provide the space and the kitchen for cooking the meal.

“We'll be there for support and to collect donations,” said Collins of the Council on Aging role.

The meal is free, but there is a suggested donation of $4.25.

“I'm hoping we'll have a good crowd out there,” said Collins. “It will be good to get those seniors out there for the social time, too.”

Collins also said she wants to make the population in LaCrosse aware that COAST does provide transportation services there.

“We don't have a ton of people from LaCrosse calling for rides,” she said.

Roberts said she is excited to be able to help provide those services for the senior population in town.

“I'm hopeful that it will be a good event,” she said. “I work at the school, and the kids do Meals on Wheels there twice a month, but there just isn't a lot for seniors here.”

Collins said these first three seniors meals are set up as test runs, and she hopes to see the meals occur at least twice a month.

“We didn't want to go once a month and have it space out too far and have people forget that it happens,” she said.

The menu for the first meal in nearly two weeks is cod, baked potatoes, vegetables, bread and a dessert.

“It will be fantastic,” said Collins.

The café will also still run its regular operation during the senior meal.

Roberts said she is excited for the senior meal, and she has been thankful for the community support since the LaCrosse Café was reopened in October.

“The response has been great,” she said. “We're doing great.”