2006-2007 Orange Book: Internet Directory
Ramona Nutrition Program

Ramona Nutrition Program

Helping senior citizens to eat healthy meals and socialize every weekday is the mission of the Ramona Nutrition Program.

Ray Cardona, the executive director and nutrition manager, has been at his job for a little over a year, but has brought a wealth of enthusiasm and caring for the people that he serves.

According to Cardona, the program provides meals for those who attend lunch at the center as well as "meals on the go."

Under the federal guidelines that provide funding for this program, any person over 60 years old is eligible. The suggested donation is $3.50 for lunch. The meals that are delivered to the homes are identical to those served at the center.

"Half of the delivery truck is an oven and half is a refrigerator, so the hot stuff gets there hot and the cold stuff gets there cold." Deliveries are made all over Ramona and the backcountry, including Sunshine Summit, Warner Springs, Santa Ysabel, Mesa Grande and a small portion of Julian.

Getting on the truck’s delivery route is easy. Just call the center and tell them where you live and when you want the food delivered. Some folks choose not to have meals when the menu items aren’t something that they want.

According to Cardona, the nutritional value of the meals is based on what a healthy 55-year old man should be eating. "It’s all good American comfort food. Makes you feel good kind of food," he says.

Frozen meals are also delivered to the homebound. They can be heated up on Saturdays and Sundays so that the seniors never need to miss lunch.

A bus that the center operates can, for a cost of $1 pick up Seniors who live within the greater Ramona area. They are brought back home after noon. The one ton van is equipped with a wheel chair lift. The center is open Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. The dining room at the center opens at 11 a.m. every weekday. Two days a week hot soup is served. Three days a week it’s salad. That reverses during the winter. At noon the seniors are served. They eat on the good china, not stainless steel institutional trays.

"It’s very good food," says Cardona, who proudly observes that Ramona’s center has been rated top out of 14 senior centers in San Diego by the area’s senior representative to the State of California Assembly, Earl Kelley.

But eating lunch is just the beginning of the things to do at the center.

Every day activities are offered beginning at 9 a.m. This includes exercise and computer classes, classes in writing, quilting, language, and watercolors. There’s also bridge and bingo games offered. Once a month a bargain corner is held. Representatives from Social Security come twice a month. Once a month the Nutrition Advisory Council meets to talk about the quality of the meals.

Cardona attends those meetings, "and we listen to those seniors," he says.

The nutrition center has a board of directors that includes Board Pres. Ellie Whitcomb, First Vice Pres. Erwin Levy, Second Vice Pres. Donna Zick, Secretary June Edwards, Treasurer Alice Funk and Parliamentarian Wilma Parker, and directors, Michael Bonner, Dr. Gary Myers, Connie Parham and Doris Stone. They meet on the fourth Monday of the month at 1 p.m.

789-0440

PO 657

434 Aqua Lane, Ramona