Hot food and social activities

Retiree Lula Williams, 78, was feeling depressed. Day after day,  the senior whiled away her hours watching game shows on television or  wistfully looking out the window.
I was bored and lonely, admits  Williams. I needed something to occupy my time.
When a friend told  her about the Peoples Coordinated Services Senior Multipurpose Center  at 5133 Crenshaw Boulevard, Williams decided to pay it a visit.
Once  inside the brightly lit center, Williams months of isolation were over.
I was surprised at the many activities they offered, said  Williams, who said she was soon flipping cards at one of the many card  games available.  I also made a number of new friends, said Williams.
And  Williams, who seldom cooked her own meals, was soon biting into one of  the hot, nutritious daily lunches offered for the reasonable price of  $1.25.
Willietta Franklin, who has been coming to the center for four  years, added, I love the hot meals.  Depending on the lunch, we are  served enchiladas, broccoli, banana pudding, squash, and lettuce and  cucumber salad, and you get a choice of a beverage like milk, apple, or  grape juice.
PCSSMC program coordinator Wanda Boyd said that since  many seniors dont prepare meals, the daily lunchtime meals are a big  hit at the center.  We serve between 80 and 90 seniors each day, said  Boyd, who added that since many of the seniors suffer from  health-related illnesses such as diabetes, low sodium meals and meals  prepared without trans fats are popular.
For seniors who are  homebound, the Meals on Wheels program delivers hot meals daily.  The  seniors must fill out an intake form and bring in a statement from their  doctor to qualify, said Boyd, who said that the Meals on Wheels  program services about 340 homebound people per month.
After  seniors enjoy a tasty meal, the center offers an array of daily  activities to keep them occupied.  Seniors can shoot a game of pool, or  enjoy a game of bid whist, dominoes, monopoly, checkers, or scrabble.
Other  activities offered include a computer class, a knitting club, and a  sewing class.  A Braille class is offered for the blind. And for those  who like to sing, seniors can harmonize during the PCSSMC choir  rehearsal. The center is funded by the Los Angeles Department of Aging  and is one of six sites that offer daily activities for seniors.
Dancing  is also a popular activity for the elderly crowd, who are not shy about  kicking up their heels on special occasions.  On Valentines Day,  seniors dresssed in bright red and got their groove on dancing to an  R&B band.
Each month, the center celebrates seniors birthdays  with cake and ice cream and a shower of birthday wishes.
For seniors  who like a little adventure, the center offers day trips to various  sightseeing destinations throughout Los Angeles County.  The seniors  have taken day trips to the Getty Museum, Descanso Gardens, the Ontario  Mills Mall, and the Farmers Market in Long Beach, said Boyd.   Sometimes they might go to Griffith Park because they like to ride on  the trains.  They also take trips to Indian casinos twice a month, she  added.
Staying in good health is a priority at the center, where  seniors are offered a variety of health-related activities. We have  exercise classes on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, which are taught by  one of our own seniors, Hayward Gray, said Boyd.
The Center also  offers Wellness Club Health screenings for diabetes, cholesterol, high  blood pressure, and other ailments, and there are health lectures  provided by Partners in Care which are held the last Tuesday of the  month.
For seniors who need help with light housekeeping, legal  matters, heavy chore yardwork, or need a senior companion, the Emergency  Response System, run by case manager Udemgda Igu, helps to fill those  needs.
Franklin, a regular at the center, said she used to drive her  mother to the facility. She loved coming here, recalls Franklin, who  said that her mother, who was 93, recently passed away.  When Franklin  retired, she started coming to the center and fell in love with it as  well.  I love to play bingo, bid whist, and pool, Franklin said.
G.  Love, who also has been attending the center for four years, said she  enjoys participating in the sewing and computer classes.  I love to  play bid whist, dominoes, and shoot pool,  said Love.  They have  everything I need here.
To contact the Peoples Coordinated Services  Senior Multipurpose Center, call (323) 294-5226 or access their web  site at www.pcs-socal.org.