Seniors in Mantua can take advantage of numerous free options every day as the township offers dinners, transportation and more.
“One of the biggest things we provide is the transportation,” said Deputy Mayor Bob Zimmerman, who’s the liaison to senior services. “The calendar goes out each month and it has a schedule of places of where each bus will go where the seniors can get on and go to ShopRite, Wegmans, Deptford and Cumberland malls, and they’ll also go to various events like bingo.”
He added at a given time roughly 20 seniors are on the bus, which gives them the ability to enjoy things without a car or driver’s license.
“The vast majority that live here have lived here their entire lives or came here to retire,” he added. “We think it’s very important to look out for each class of residents.”
He added the township allocates $46,000 each year to be able to offer the services for free, which is never a budget line that gets touched, even in financial hardships.
Seniors in the township are also given the opportunity to have a free hot dinner at the community center (111 Mercer Ave., Sewell) that is prepped by recreation committee members Kathy Shryock and Regina DeWitt, among others.
There, the seniors are treated to chicken pot pies, barbecue chicken, assorted salads and other nutritious meals. On Thanksgiving, the township transports them to Peking Buffet in Glassboro for a Thanksgiving lunch. During the holiday season, the Knights of Columbus cooks them a holiday breakfast at the Incarnation Church.
“We [also] partner with the county in their nutritional program that offers a $1.25 lunch daily,” Zimmerman added.
Within the county are six nutritional sites where the county offers a “well-balanced, mid-day meal to seniors 60 years and older, or the spouse of a participant.” The meals are given out Monday through Friday at Mantua’s community center. Menus can be viewed by visiting www.GloucesterCountyNJ.gov.
“I’ve talked to other officials who inquired about our senior services,” said Zimmerman. “If you check around the county, I don’t think you’ll find another town that pays for senior dinners each month at no cost to the seniors. It’s something we’ve done for years, but I don’t think many other towns offer it.”
As a liaison to multiple other departments, Zimmerman said it’s rewarding to see the seniors’ faces light up whenever they’re able to take part in the dinners, $1.25 lunches or any of the free programs offered to them.
“It gives me a great deal of pleasure and satisfaction to be able to give back to them and see them come out and enjoy the things the township offers,” he said.
Zimmerman said the township is always open to suggestions on what to add and it will look into ways to try to incorporate some of them. The next senior dinner is scheduled for July 16 at 6 p.m. Reservations for the dinner can be made by calling Pam LeVine at (856) 468-1500, extension 100.
“There’s truly no catch [to offering the free services] and it’s a way for us to give back to the people who’ve spent their entire lives working hard and doing all of the things the right way,” Zimmerman said. “If we’re able to provide a monthly dinner, have a nutritional site here and transportation to help them get around – it’s important.”
