A hometown newspaper with a local office, local owners & lots of local news
A hometown newspaper with a local office, local owners & lots of local news
Brenda Angell stirs pork stew at the Cloquet Senior Center in October. Angell recently celebrated 25 years as a cook for the senior center and Meals On Wheels.
Lunch items are ready to be packed into cooler bags and delivered by Meals on Wheels volunteer drivers. Pork stew, a biscuit, apple cobbler, juice and milk are on the menu this day.
The murmur of voices punctuated by the sound of pots and pans greets seniors as they enter the Senior Center in Cloquet on almost any given morning.
Head cook Brenda Angell, 58, is in the kitchen working her magic, as she has done for 25 years.
She said the senior citizens make her job even more rewarding.
"I love my people here," Angell said enthusiastically.
She said the center normally bustles with activities such as Bingo, games and parties. Now there is only coffee and conversation during the morning hours due to the restrictions of Covid-19.
"She is really a good cook," said Larry Sell. He meets with several fellow veterans early each morning for coffee.
Angell greets seniors with a big smile and friendly banter as they enter the center.
She knows each of the groups and where they sit. She points to tables around the room and names a few groups. The Potlatch group sits at a table near the wall on the far side of the room, while the veterans sit in the middle of the room. The swimming ladies used to come in Friday mornings after class and sit on the opposite side of the room, she said. Angell stresses the groups practice social distancing and stagger the times they come into the center.
While she is sad that the center is not open for events and parties, she is thankful to see the seniors when they stop by for coffee.
Sell said he appreciates her genuine concern for the senior citizens.
"She wants us to check in so she knows we are OK," Sell said.
With the center closed, the meals are available for curbside pickup or delivered by volunteer drivers for the Meals on Wheels program, said Angell.
The Arrowhead Economic Opportunity Agency provides the food and the Meals on Wheels service for adults age 60 and over, according to the agency website. The cost is $4 per meal for those 60 and older. People under 60 years old are charged $7.50 per meal, said Angell. She added that the program is open to all senior citizens and is not dependent on their income.
Angell said she cooks 100 meals on an average day and an additional 30-40 frozen meals for weekends. A list of senior citizens and their dietary restrictions is nearby as the meals are packed. The name of each person is on their lunch bag along with any pertinent information, such as no milk.
"The seniors don't like to waste anything," Angell said with a laugh.
She said she will be cooking a holiday meal the week before the holiday. The senior citizens alert the Meal on Wheels drivers during the week if they want to order frozen meals for upcoming holidays or weekends. If so, they are added to the list and the meals are delivered the day before.
Senior citizens interested in either curbside pick up or getting on the Meals on Wheels delivery list can call AEOA at 1-800-662-5711, ext. 6899 for more information.
Anyone interested in volunteering as a Meals on Wheels delivery driver can call 218-879-5870. The Cloquet Senior Center is located at 1100 Olympic Drive, next to Northwoods Credit Union Arena.
