Muskie Community Center Kitchen Overhauled to End Senior Hunger | Events

Spectrum Generations Muskie Community Center kitchen in Waterville recently received a major overhaul.  The renovations are an integral part of We Sustain Maine, Spectrum Generations national award winning program that incorporates Maine food products “year-round” in its Meals on Wheels menu.  “The updated kitchen provides the infrastructure needed to bulk purchase and store Maine food products for year round use in our Meals On Wheels menu,” stated Gerard Queally, CEO of Spectrum Generations.  “As a result, 1,700 homebound seniors and disabled adults will receive healthier, better tasting food while local farmers benefit from Spectrum Generations investment in their harvest,” added Queally.

The Muskie Community Center Kitchen, before renovations, was often cumbersome for nutrition staff and volunteers to work.  Kitchen renovations included tearing down a wall to provide better workspace for Meals on Wheels volunteers (see before, left, and after, right).  A state of the art “flash” freezer, that freezes food in seconds (seen in background of after photo), was also installed to preserve the freshness and nutritional value of the goods being stored.  Flash frozen foods have a much longer shelf life and will not suffer freezer burn. A generator will be added to the Muskie Community Center in July to prevent food spoilage and keep the kitchen running during power outages.

Spectrum Generations is the only Meals on Wheels provider in Maine that cooks and prepares its own food.  Nearly 250,000 meals are cooked at its Muskie and Cohen Community Center kitchens and distributed by volunteers to homebound adults living in central Maine. Similar renovations to the Cohen Community Center kitchen are slated to be completed by early fall. 

Funding for We Sustain Maine and center kitchen renovations are funded in part by the Meals on Wheels Association of America and Walmart Foundation, philanthropist Elsie Viles, the Waterville Rotary Club, Stephen and Tabitha King Foundation, Maine Community Foundation (through the Cummings Fund), Maine Society for Healthcare Human Resources, Elimina Sewall Foundation, and Jane’s Trust.

Spectrum Generations is central Maine’s Area Agency on Aging and Aging and Disability Resource Center.  Its mission is to promote life-long learning, health, wellness, nutrition, community engagement and the social well-being of all older and disabled adults.

For more information about We Sustain Maine or Spectrum Generations other services, call 1-800-639-1553 or visit us online at http://www.spectrumgenerations.org/.  Like us on Facebook.