Seniors Get Free Monthly Lunch Thanks to Generous Family

Barrington-area seniors will now enjoy a complimentary lunch once a month, thanks to Granny A.

Ruth Anderson was a loyal attendee at weekly lunch programs sponsored by the Barrington Area Council on Aging. Anderson—who signed letters to her grandsons  “Granny A”—lived at Greencastle of Barrington, and “attended every lunch that BACOA sponsored at Greencastle,” said her daughter Margaret Reddy of North Barrington.

“She had her own regular table at the Monday lunch at the park district, and she participated in many of BACOA’s activities and outings," she said. 

Anderson died in October of 2011, and in her honor, Reddy and her family are sponsoring lunch once a month during 2013 at BACOA’s Monday Lunch and Activity Program at the Barrington Park District. The lunch will be sponsored on the first Monday of every month, and seniors will be able to attend at no charge.

Reddy was already a longtime volunteer for BACOA when her mother moved to Barrington in 2005. The lunch program was a good way to get her settled into the community and make friends, says Reddy. Her entire family has been involved in BACOA activities; her husband, Jim, has helped at the lunch program; her son Michael, interned with the group for two summers, and her other son Matthew has volunteered along with Michael for fundraising events.

Reddy sees the lunches as a way of remembering her mother’s involvement and enjoyment of the lunch program, as well as a way of recognizing BACOA’s services to the community.

“She was always very supportive of the program,” said Reddy. “She thought it was great that people could get up on Monday morning and know that they had someplace to go, something to look forward to.”

The complimentary lunches will be hosted the first Monday of every month at BACOA’s Senior Lunch and Activity Program at the Barrington Park District, 235 Lions Drive, Barrington. Bingo begins at 10:30 a.m. and lunch is served at noon.

Menus and weekly activities can be found on BACOA’s Web site at www.bacoa.org; click on “Activities for Seniors.” Preregistration is required; call Linda Avellon at BACOA at (847) 852-3892 for more information.