The National Resource Center on Nutrition and Aging is hosted by Meals on Wheels America as part of a cooperative agreement 

with the Administration for Community Living (ACL).

EVENTS & PROGRAM IDEAS TO TARGET 

SOCIAL ISOLATION AMONG CLIENTS

On the March 4th, 2020 webinar Make Your Mark: Enhance Socialization and Nutrition, we posed 

the question, “Does your organization offer a specific event or program designed to target 

social isolation among your clients?". We had many great responses from your peers, so we 

put all those ideas in one place for you.

• Volunteer driver program for seniors with food insecurity.

• Telephone reassurance program for homebound seniors.

• Lunch in Learns with educational presentations

• At Arlington County Senior Center all center gets together to celebrate 

Valentine's Day, International Day, ThanksgivingCelebration

• Various card groups, bingo, craft events, garden share

• TheWinooskiSeniorCenteroffersmonthlythemelunches thatencourage 

participation with dressing up, music and readings. Afterlunch is Senior Fun & 

Games time.

• Themed events every month

• WE have 3 choices at our meal sites each day not only for the congregate site but 

also out meals onwheels

• We have Friendly Visiting and Telephone Reassurance Program! One of our 

Centers have a live band once a month. We provide evidence-based health 

prevention and promotion program using senior volunteers

• Have a Senior Center that started a Cardio Drumming program- has

become very popular among the seniors

• The Foster Grandparent Program provides free lunches at schools for active

low-income older adults who volunteer in their school. Then once a month we 

bring all the volunteers together for a hot meal and team building and ice

breaker activities to support new friendships.

• Senior Dance once a month withDinner

• We have a monthly potluck in collaboration with the Senior Center we serve

lunch. We also do a Tasty Trivia Day,Bingo Day and Dine and Design day

EVENTS & PROGRAM IDEAS TO TARGET 
The National Resource Center on Nutrition and Aging is hosted by Meals on Wheels America as part of a cooperative agreement 

with the Administration for Community Living (ACL).

SOCIAL ISOLATION AMONG CLIENTS (Continued)

• H.S. Cosmetology class comes to do nails and hair

• Kupuna Hula Festival

• Macon County Senior Services offers an After-Hours Bingo and Potluck

• Dance troupe and choir

• Open house

• Caregiving support groups, men’s groups,

• Walking clubs, game days andpicnics

• We offer farm to table field trips to immigrant seniors in Seattle area. Where

we fuse pacific northwest foods with their commonly used spices and dishes

• Red Hat Diva's club, evening dinners, dancing, bible classes, exercise

classes etc.

• Students from a local high school come to discuss current events with our seniors

• We have aBritish tea....The seniors love an excuse to dress up

• "Thinking Thursdays" come and increase your brain health while you eat lunch 

with us! We complete word searches, puzzles, trivia and games!

• Bring a Friend Day has been a hit for us! Our client committee is 

discussing a game night as well. So exciting!

• Also, a Senior Prom this Spring and Senior Games (like field day) in Fall.

• Games, Movie Day, Crafts, ArtClass

• City of Del Rio Nutrition Program in May we celebrate Older Americans Month 

with a health fair & it's open to the public. Daily the participants dance as part of 

socialization. Dancers vary from 60 to 90 years old.

• We have high school students come to our lunches to help seniorswith

smart phone. We also do a bring a friend to lunch and give a free meal ticket to 

new folks who move into senior housing where are meals are served.

• Coffee Hour every Thursday withsocialization

• A local Middle School band comes monthly to play for the Seniors

• Dine in with exercise, computer, art and music classes

• We offer a dine-in event that is open to all residents with a different menu theme

monthly.

• Split the pot bingo and linedancing.

• Community sponsors delivering meals to home bound clients
The National Resource Center on Nutrition and Aging is hosted by Meals on Wheels America as part of a cooperative 

agreement with the Administration for Community Living (ACL).

EVENTS & PROGRAM IDEAS TO TARGET 

SOCIAL ISOLATION AMONG CLIENTS (Continued)

• Socialization through Recreation at Ability 360 offering classes every 

Thursday from cooking to escape rooms and karaoke and dance.

• Game day, movie day, ice cream social, exercise, day trip for adventures 

in eating

• The Salvation Army (Buffalo) hosted and All Women Spa Night for our 

senior ladies. There were several vendors and we offered a full dinner. 

They really enjoyed themselves.

• We have the AARP Connect 2 Effect program at 2 of our sites to address

isolation in general, but the program allows the residents to hear what 

the daily menu willbe

• Zumba and our seniors love taking selfies after and group pictures.

• Healthy Aging Symposium

• Three cultural events with dancing, food live entertainment with over 300 

older adults

• Partnerships with City municipalities to fund staffing for center 

programming

• Twice a month we provide Coffee and Donuts for our residents to 

socialize

• Creative writing

• Our nutrition contractors schedule inter-generational and other social 

events locally. However, monthly we have a guest speaker at our monthly 

nutrition program manager's meetings who are willing to present or hold 

programs in our contractorsites.

• No, am in New Mexico so I am getting request for Indigenous foods

• Friday Bingo, Local Historians talks

• Two large events that incorporates all 52 of our centers to come together. 

One isFallFest and the otherisSpringFling. This year's theme forSpring 

Fling is 50's Sock Hop and will be held at convention center

• Line Dancing, Bocce Ball

• Line and Social Dance, Karaoke, On-Site and Home Delivered Meals.

• We offer Candlelight Dinners on a monthlybasis.

• We have Lifelong Learning... Adventures in Learning
The National Resource Center on Nutrition and Aging is hosted by Meals on Wheels America as part of a cooperative 

agreement with the Administration for Community Living (ACL).

EVENTS & PROGRAM IDEAS TO TARGET 

SOCIAL ISOLATION AMONG CLIENTS (Continued)

• Lunch and Learn Wednesdays

• "Bring a friend" luncheons, creating welcome packets and friendly 

greeters at centers

• Offer safe driving classes to bring in older drivers in community

• Collaborate with local preschool for holiday programs

• 3-county Senior Games event

• Tai chi for arthritis

• Friendship tea and Chance auction

• Ethnic food festival

• Line dancing friendly greeter bingo

• Women’s group for cancer

• Housing support group...exercise programs

• We recently partnered with a local college for an intergenerational 

program to bring students together with seniors. The event culminated 

with a fall harvest feast, after several days together in a garden.

• Worked with local partners to bring a mobile food pantry to those in dire

need at our sites

• At the Preble County Council on Aging, we offer a weekly Thursday Night 

Dance, where we have a dollar menu, live band, 50/50 raffle, and door 

prizes. We average over 100 each week.

• Quarterly Food Drive-Delivery to Homebound and IsolatedSeniors

• In Flint we just completed Senior Winter Games including more than20-30 

activities

• The Campus Kitchen at Gettysburg College offers the More than A Meal 

Program. This program pairs college volunteers with shut in seniors to 

deliver a hot meal to the senior’s home. The college volunteers enjoy the 

meal and conversation with the client on a weekly basis.

• The Campus Kitchen at Gettysburg College will host the 2nd Annual 

Senior Prom in April

• We offer a 6-week (once a week) art class

• Cafe lunch (w entertainment), lunch and movie, clubs, classes