The Campus Dining Program - Ohio District 5 Area Agency on Aging, Inc.
The Campus Dining Program connects college students and older adults at an on-campus congregate meal site. The program-- a partnership between the Ohio District 5 Area Agency on Aging, Inc., Ohio State University at Mansfield and North Central State College-- provides older adults with flexible dining hours, fresh food choices and intergenerational programming that promotes lifelong learning positive aging and mentorship.
The Campus Dining Program provides a wider variety of fresh and healthy foods than the single meal selection that is usually offered by traditional meal sites. This format supports new relationships and activities with students and faculty. This atmosphere appeals to younger seniors and avoids the stigma often associated with meal voucher programs.
Budget:
The annual costs of this program are primarily service dollars($30,000), personnel costs($6,000) and overhead($4,000). AAA marketing staff promote the program to the community. Fiscal and program staff monitor spending, work with consumers and track consumer information.
Accomplishments:
During the pilot program from September 2017 to May 2018, 2,192 meals were served to 365 individuals from six of the nine counties in the AAA’s service area. The majority(63 percent) of participants were age 60-74, demonstrating that the AAA succeeded in engaging the younger senior demographic.
Replicability:
Organizations can replicate an on-campus congregate meal site by securing a funding source and identifying a college/university partner that has an onsite dining hall. Developing, marketing and running a pilot program that includes a voucher system, registration tools, a welcome packet, complementary programming and satisfaction surveys to be distributed at the end of the pilot are all key steps.
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