After a two - year hiatus due to the COVID - 19 pandemic , the
   Mercer County Nutrition Program for Older Adults
    will resume in - person lunches at nine of its locations starting Monday , May 2 , announced
   Mercer County Executive Brian M . Hughes .
    
     For the past two years , we ' ve been distributing ' grab - and - go ' frozen meals at our Nutrition sites at the municipal senior centers , and have provided at - home delivery for those seniors unable to get to the sites , Mr . Hughes explained .
    The pandemic required us to exercise creativity in ways to continue to deliver services to our residents , and we rose to the challenge . In the two years that the program was closed to in - person dining , we distributed an astounding 266 , 483 meals to our senior citizens , he added .
   The County Executive credits the success to the teams in the County Nutrition Program and the county ' s bus transportation program for older adults and people with disabilities , known as TRADE buses . Those departments , along with the staff at our partnering senior centers , ensured that program participants did not go hungry .
    From food preparation to final delivery , it took a cadre of dedicated people and a great deal of flexibility to make sure this important service carried on , Mr . Hughes said .  
   Now with COVID - 19 vaccines readily available and communities begin to reopen with less stringent safety measures , Mercer is excited to reopen for congregate meals . This is a welcome return of the essential socialization component that the Nutrition Program provides to battle isolation and loneliness .
   About the Program
   The Nutrition Program for Older Adults provides a daily nutritionally balanced meal Monday through Friday ( except for County and/or municipal holidays ) . All meals meet the required one - third of the United States Department of Agriculture ( USDA ) daily referenced intake ( DRI ) of nutrients for an individual 60 years or older . Meals are available to Mercer County residents age 60 or older and their spouses ( regardless of age ) , any county resident with a disability whose primary caregiver is a program participant , anyone volunteering in the program , and the personal care aides of program participants ( when they accompany a participant to the site where the meals are provided ) .
   Locations and information:
    In - person services will be hosted at these centers: Jennye Stubblefield Senior Center and Sam Naples Community Center in Trenton , Lawrence Township Senior Center , Princeton Café for Older Adults , John O . Wilson Neighborhood Service Center in Hamilton , Hamilton Senior Center , Hopewell Valley Senior Center , Hollowbrook Community Center in Ewing , and Robbinsville Senior Center . Most meal services begin at 11:30 a . m . , although times may vary by location , so please contact the Mercer County Nutrition Program for Older Adults at 609 - 989 - 6650 or inquire at your local site .
    
   No payment is required for a meal; however , there is a suggested donation of $1 for each meal provided . Reservations are required; please call 609 - 989 - 6650 to reserve your spot . Monthly menus can be found on the 
   Nutrition Program for Older Adults web page
    .
    
   If transportation is a barrier to participating in the congregate meals , Mercer County TRADE may be able to help you . They can be reached at 609 - 530 - 1971 or
   trade@mercercounty . org
    . Some of the sites also may have transportation options for its participants . If you cannot make it to the site for reasons other than transportation , there may be home - delivered options for you . From aging partners such as Meals on Wheels of Mercer County to Medicaid - funded home - delivered meals , there are resources in the community to assist everyone .  
   For more information , please contact the Nutrition Program for Older Adults at 609 - 989 - 6650 or
   adrc@mercercounty . org
    .
   

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