West Philadelphia senior center gets $7,500 grant

WEST PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- A local community center is the recipient of a new grant to support hunger relief and more in West Philadelphia.

The $7,500 grant from the Bank of America Charitable Foundation will provide services at the West Philadelphia Senior Community Center.

The funding will expand the center's ability to provide free meals to seniors in need.

"I love it because the food is not fried. It's steamed and it's just delicious," said Jewel R. Richardson.

The center offers breakfast daily and a hot lunch.

"This may be the only meal of the day, they only hot meal that they're getting," said Pat Stanley, the center's director.

"The majority of our seniors here are diabetic so a lot of emphasis is placed on diabetes and how to follow food guidelines for that," said Helen Rayon, health and wellness coordinator.

The center is operated by Lutheran Children and Family Services, a non-profit that serves the most vulnerable residents across eastern and central Pennsylvania.

Nearly 1,600 seniors visit the center each year, most of them live in West and Southwest Philadelphia.

In addition to nutritious food, it also offers educational and recreational activities.

One of the most popular activities is the Enhance Fitness program which is 89-year-old Emma Taylor's favorite.

The center also operates a support program for nearly 600,000 homebound seniors every year.

The center is located in a two square mile area of West Philly that has been designated as a "Promise Zone," where a federal initiative is addressing the challenges of regions of persistent poverty.

76-year-old Ben Jones has been coming for three years. He's a pinochle champion but that's not all he enjoys here.

"I like the space, the pinochle, and the comradery that's here and everyone gets along wonderful together," said Jones.