LSS and Generations tied by close relationship

Research shows that many Rock County seniors are food insecure, but many don’t seek affordable meals at the senior meal site in Luverne because they don’t see themselves as old or as needy.
Statistics also show that one in every 12 retirement-aged adults is food insecure, and most of them are not receiving home-delivered meals or participating in congregate meals.
This alone shows the need to improve the local program and meal site participation, but another study shows 1 in 5 retirement-age adults feel lonely.   
“We have the capacity to alleviate those issues, but many potential individuals are not taking advantage of what is available to them,” Bonnema said earlier this year.
It’s a big reason he agreed to become the new Generations president — to change perceptions and encourage participation.
“We are trying to find ways to get more people involved because more people bring more people,” Bonnema said in a March 28 Star Herald story. 
“Invitation is one of the keys to reaching out.”
The suggested price at Luverne’s meal site is $4.50 but diners pay what they can afford to pay, and SNAP and EBT programs are also accepted as payment.
Home-delivered meals are available to people living in communities outside of Luverne but within Rock County.  
 
Funding is attached to need, which is demonstrated by numbers
Another reason it’s so important to increase the number of Generations members and meal site users is that funding is attached to participation.
•Generations members own the building and are responsible for the payment of utilities, insurance and maintenance.  
•Lutheran Social Services provides all elements of the food service, hiring the cooks, buying the food, setting the menu and paying the site manager. 
•Lutheran Social Services pays Generations rent for use of the facility on a per meal basis. 
•Meal payment goes to Lutheran Social Services, not to the local Generations group, which relies on participation numbers for its rent.
“The more people we have participating, the more rent we receive,” Bonnema said. “The expenses paid by Generations remains the same regardless of the number of participants.”
 
Attracting more (and younger) Generations members
“That is a key factor in being sustainable,” Bonnema said. 
“We have been on a mission to increase the number of Generations members for a couple of specific reasons.”
•More members means more income (dues are $10 per year). 
•More members shows interest in the program.
“This is very impressive on grant applications and we need grant funds to help reach the $2.5 million price of our new building,” he said. 
“Plus more participation brings new energy and we can all appreciate that.”
In order to attract more and younger members, Bonnema and the Generations board members are working to improve the group’s image and its home.
“Many of the activities and programs we want to incorporate cannot happen because we don’t have appropriate or adequate space,” he said. 
Among those are the popular Bone Builders exercise program through Rock County A.C.E., which leases office space from Generations.
“We need a fresh look and a new image in the community.”