Welcome to your first step into the Wiser Dining PLC category as a new implementer! Let’s kick off our journey together with a discussion. Share your thoughts by answering any of the following questions based on your plans for implementing Wiser Dining:
Types of Sites: What types of congregate meal sites (senior center, after-school meals, etc.) are you planning to use Wiser Dining with? We’d love to hear about your vision!
Existing Relationships: Do you already have a relationship with a congregate meal site that could potentially become a Wiser Dining site? Tell us more about it!
Expert Tips: If you’ve worked with congregate meal sites before, what advice can you share about generating buy-in from site staff and volunteers? Your experience can help your peers!
I work at a senior center, and would love to see an increase in participants in the congregate meals program. Everyone there is so respectful towards one another, ideally I would love to see participants connecting more with one another once the program has been built more to create a stronger sense of community within the center.
We are planning to use Wiser Dining with some local community centers. The congregate meal sites here usually reach older adults. Fear of COVID-19 amongst the older adults has delayed Wiser Dining implementation at some sites, but we are hoping to continue making efforts to implement this program.
We’re excited to be a new congregate meal provider at senior sites. Through the provision of fresh and tasty food, an inviting environment, and connection to community, we look forward to enhancing the lives of those we serve.
Hi all
My name’s Diana and I work at CDA. I don’t work with congregate meal sites directly. However, I’m completing this training so that I can get a better understanding of what this program is and encourage AAAs to implement it at the congregate meal sites they serve.
Hello! I currently do not work directly with any congregate meal sites, however, I hope to create new partnerships and work with them soon - some being senior centers. I look forward to learning more about Wiser Dining and how we can implement it!
I am currently working with the senior congregate site in Solano County. Our main objective is to revamp the congregate meal program to attract seniors to join in, engage, and savor a delicious and nutritious meal.
Like others who have responded, I too work at Senior Centers. I have a standing partnership with this site, so I will be working off that partnership to incorporate the Wiser Dining curriculum. The congregate meal site that I have worked with was very willing and enthusiastic to incorporate programming. One thing I will note is that they usually have deliverables and work plans that they also have to work on, so approaching them and asking what deliverables they need to meet and then collaborating on how your program can assist with meeting those in addition to meeting your own.
We are currently providing Nutrition Education at various congregate meal sites. I am looking forward to learning more about this PSE work that can be provided to support our sites better.
I currently work within NPP and I was introduced to Wiser Dining through NPP, its a great resource for some sites that also serve meals to its clients. Some sites I have in mind may include, Family Resource Centers, Schools, Colleges and other locations we work with already.
We will see from the current sites we already are working with for other implementation.
I have only volunteered time with sites before, so this will be my first time implementing a PSE effort.
Hello! I’m newer to my role so I’m still developing relationships in my community. But we have some congregate meals sites that we want to work with more in the near future.
Yes the other week we visited the Escalon Community Center for our Rethink Your Drink/Food Smarts event with some of the community members. I’ve been told this will be a pilot site for us so I am excited to reach out to them soon and see when we are able to host a wiser dining meal
