OLEAN, N.Y. — As the federal shutdown has past its fourth week with no end in sight at present, more people, including an owner of an assisted living facility in Olean, are taking notice and want to help.
The Olean facility, Eden Heights of Olean Assisted Living and Memory Care, is now opening its dining rooms to federal employees who have been without pay and would like to stop in for a meal.
“One of our owners sent out an email last week to all the communities with Premiere Senior Living Homes” directing them to offer free meals to federal employees, said Danielle DeLong, Eden Heights community development director, on Tuesday.
The email was sent by Wayne L. Kaplan, owner of Premier Senior Living Group in New York City, which is the parent company of Eden Heights. In it, Kaplan said, in part, “We at Premier Senior Living can and should do our part to help. If your community is in an area that has some of these federal workers, get the word out to them that they can come in with their family and enjoy meals with our residents in our dining rooms,” Kaplan wrote.
“This won’t cost us much and can be our small way of helping out those in need. You can do this in any way you see fit and if you do, please let us know how it worked out.”
DeLong said she and other administrators were pleased to learn of the request and plan to open their dining rooms for all of the meals offered, breakfast, lunch and dinner.
“It’s kind of nice because people think when you have ownership that’s not local they don’t have a hand in it,” DeLong continued. “But our ownership is staying on top of it and really encourages us to stay active with our communities. We have the benefit of corporate support and locally managed communities.”
She said the executive director of Eden Heights, Kelly Wilkins, requests that any federal employee who would like to stop by to dine should call ahead to the office to let the staff know of the visit.
“We always have plenty of food, but it’s nice to know ahead of time so we can plan,” DeLong added.
She said federal employees from any facility in the area, such as the Federal Correctional Institution-McKean near Bradford, Pa., are welcome. She noted employees will be asked for verification of their workplace.
“Basically, it’s for anyone who has had their paychecks withheld” by their federal employer, DeLong commented. “I don’t know how these families are (managing) for a month now” without pay.
She said meals are offered in three different dining areas at the facility, with breakfast offered beginning at 8 a.m., lunch at noon and dinner at 5 p.m. The dining areas include a smaller dining room, a garden room which can hold larger groups and the regular dining room.
“They can also call and see what is on the menu,” she remarked. “We have a standard menu set up and we have additional options available, too. If they call in and talk to our dietary department, we can put something together for them.”
An Eden Heights resident who commented on the program said her granddaughter and her granddaughter’s husband are affected by the shutdown.
“They are doing alright, but I can’t imagine how the people with children are able to do without their paychecks to provide for a whole family,” the resident said.
For those unfamiliar with the location of Eden Heights, the facility is located at 161 S. 25th St., which is the street which runs along the right side of Tops Friendly Market on West State Street.
For more information on the meals, call (716) 372-4466.
