They say there’s no such thing as a free lunch, but there is one coming up at the Tillsonburg Senior Center and it’s a belated ‘Merry Christmas.’
The Tillsonburg Senior Center is host to a free chili luncheon for all seniors in the community on Feb. 28, funded by Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada.
On Dec. 23 of last year, senior center administrator Nancy Puhr was wrapping up business for the year when she realized Toyota had given her organization an early Christmas gift.
“I was going through the last stack of mail to arrive before the holiday break,” said Puhr. “I thought I was just going to be paying the last of the bills before heading home for the holidays. Instead, I found a very unexpected letter containing a donation from Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada.”
Puhr said the donation was accompanied by a letter acknowledging the role the senior center had played in improving the lives of local seniors. The funds had been earmarked to do ‘something special’ for area seniors.
“I was so touched and surprised by the donation that I immediately contacted my Board to share the news,” said Puhr. “Last year was very difficult due to Covid-related shutdowns and restrictions, and that donation ended the year on such a bright note.”
Although the check arrived too late to host an event in time for the holidays, Puhr and her programmer immediately began thinking of how to put the cash to good use in the New Year.
“One thing we know from experience is that events where food is involved are always a success. So we decided to pursue the idea of a free chili luncheon. With the cold winter weather, we thought it would be a great fit.”
With tougher provincial COVID restrictions in January, the Senior Center had to push their chili lunch into February. The center reopened in late January and plans are now well underway.
The luncheon will be held Monday, Feb. 28 at 12 pm (noon). It is free and includes a bowl of chili, bun, and a homemade cookie. It’s available to anyone age 50-plus in Tillsonburg, but only by pre-registration as spaces are limited. If you’d like to register for the chili luncheon, call 519-688-2520 by Feb. 21.
Because of Covid and capacity limits, all lunches are take-away. Registrants will simply go to the Tillsonburg Senior Center to pick up their chili lunch on the Feb. 28, then head to the comfort of their homes to enjoy it.
“Our hope is that not only will this event allow us to touch base with some members we haven’t seen since the pandemic started, but we may get some new folks in to see what we’re all about,” said Puhr. “We want to say a sincere thank you to Toyota Motor Manufacturing for their very generous donation, which has given us a tremendous opportunity at a very challenging time.”