Photos by Abigail Twiford Seniors got dance lessons at the Carmen Tilelli Community Center on Oct. 8 during the township’s first Senior Coffee and Connection event.
The township provided apple cider, donuts, fruit and coffee to older adults at its inaugural Senior Coffee and Connection event on Oct. 8, the first of its kind in Cherry Hill.
Participants at the Carmen Tilelli Community Center not only ate, but learned about available senior clubs and activities.
“This is one of the best events that we have for seniors,” said Councilman Daniel DiRenzo. “We were able to give them a lot of information that will be helpful to them.”
Every week, clubs for seniors meet to play Bingo; hear speakers on topics relevant to older adults; play cards; or line dance, among other activities. The Maturity, Retirees and Super Seniors clubs are also resources for the kind of community and social engagement that can lead to longer life spans.
Pat Kenny, president of the Super Seniors, set up a display at the Coffee and Connection event showcasing its activities.
The Super Seniors Club displayed information about its actiities at the senior event.
“We try to involve our seniors in deciding what happens in our club,” she noted. “Our first meeting of the month is what we call a business meeting, and it’s usually based around the theme of the month.”
September’s theme coincided with Hispanic Heritage Month, so the club made burritos, read poetry in both English and Spanish and lunched on food from Spanish speaking countries. Kenny said that members without transportation can get help from others who drive, as well from the Cherry Hill bus service for residents 62 and older with a reservation.
Senior Coffee and Connection also provided dance lessons to attendees, led by Gene Naidas.
“I think dancing is one of the best things for seniors because you become physical,” Naidas explained. “So you move … you exercise your thinking, because you’ve got to remember the dances … The most important thing is like, when you make a mistake, there’s a smile on your face.”
The township conducted a survey at the end of the event on the needs of seniors and services that would most benefit them, and the Super Seniors Club held one of its meetings.
Albert J. Countryman Jr./The Sun Springdale Farm Market in Cherry Hill is one of six farmer’s markets where qualified senior citizens can use free vouchers for fresh produce.
Many senior citizens living on fixed incomes have to decide whether to buy healthy food or pay overdue bills when their Social Security benefit arrives at the beginning of each month. By the end of the month, the situation can get dire – should one starve or cut off the electricity?
In an effort to help, the Senior Farmer’s Market Nutrition Program from the Camden County Board of Commissioners provides free vouchers worth $40 for the purchase of fresh fruit and produce at six participating markets in the county.
“The summer voucher program is a lifeline to so many seniors here in Camden County,” said Commissioner Virginia Betteridge, liaison to the Division of Senior Services. “No one should worry about being able to afford fresh, nutritious food, and these vouchers allow us to alleviate some stress for our residents.”
“We have a lot of seniors who use the vouchers,” noted Michael Burke, manager of the Springdale Farm Market in Cherry Hill, who has begun his 20th summer at the only working farm in the town. “Now they come in with a QR code.
“It’s very important for everyone to eat healthy,” he added. “Fresh produce is so much better than pre-packaged, processed meals.”
Crops all grown on the farm and already in season include strawberries; radishes; Jersey asparagus; and various types of lettuce, including red leaf, green leaf, Boston and Boston red. By the 4th of July, Springdale Farm Market will also have plenty of other homegrown produce – including tomatoes and sweet Jersey corn – all produced on its more than 100 acres along Springdale Road.
Fruits and vegetables that are out of season are brought in from the Philadelphia Wholesale Produce Market, Burke explained.
Other markets accepting vouchers from the program are:
Collingswood Farmer’s Market, open Saturdays from 8 a.m. to noon; Kumarie’s Garden, open Mondays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Stella Farms, open every day from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Haddonfield Farmers’ Market, open on Saturdays from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.; and Pastore Orchard Inc., open every day from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. The Springdale Farm Market is open every day from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.
From May to November, senior citizens who meet income guidelines and are 60 and older will be eligible for a grocery voucher to be used at participating markets. The vouchers can only be used to purchase locally grown fruit and vegetable products.
The eligibility requirements for the voucher program are that a person must be at least 60 years old and a resident of the county, with an individual annual income less than $27,861 and a couple’s income less than $37,814.
According to the U.S. National Institute for Health (NIH), “A healthy diet for seniors focuses on nutrient-dense foods; including fruits; vegetables; whole grains; lean protein; and low-fat dairy, while limiting added sugars, sodium and unhealthy fats. It also emphasizes adequate hydration and a variety of foods to meet specific needs and preferences.”
In another effort to provide healthy food to its residents, the commissioners planned to celebrate the official opening of the $5-million Mary Ann Wardlow Center for Community Nutrition in Blackwood on May 16. The center is 7,500 square feet and supports assembly and distribution services for the home-delivery meal program. It was created to expand upon the county’s growing need for home-delivered meals to residents.
“Each year, the need for this program grows greater and greater here in our county,” Betteridge noted. “The board of commissioners is committing to meeting the needs of our residents, and that includes helping them secure consistent, healthy meals on a daily basis.”
The nutrition center is named after Wardlow, mayor of Lawnside and a tireless nutrition activist who’s been a long-time organizer and advocate for Meals on Wheels. She was instrumental in creating a congregate site offering nutritional programs to her town, the Wayne Bryant Community Center, making it a priority to bring nutritional food to her constituents.
Betteridge said that food insecurity is an issue too many residents’ experience. In 2024 alone, the Food Bank of South Jersey distributed 23.4 million pounds of food; provided 19.5 million meals; and served 185,000 people, including 67,000 children, per month.
