b"Last Year, COPE GalwayI came to the Lunch Club and thought,prepared and delivered over 50,000 nutritious and cus-Heytheres something going on here!If I don't go, they ask after me. The staff has tomizedmealstoolderpeoplelivinginGalway.Theirt of gold. CommunityCateringprogramisanaward-winningthe best of humour; they have a hearapproach that breaks the mold of the stereotypes manypeopleassociatewithmealsonwheels.Insteadofatendee and volunteercookie-cutter menu with no choice, meals are preparedbasedonrecipientsdietaryrequirementsandprefer-Pat , lunch club atences. Over 200 meals a day, each marked with an indi-viduals name, are delivered to homes by a network ofmore than 140 volunteers. On 16 routes that range fromthe urban center to rural routes in the Galway countryside,a highly personalized system ensures that if someone isunabletoeatsodium,orsimplydoesntenjoyapples,those items will never be included in their delivery.What are always delivered, however, are kind words, a listening ear, and an eye for any issues that may require ahelping hand. The volunteers who bring the meals areoftenthelifelineforolderpeoplewhomaintain a proudly guarded independence, but may need assistanceon occasion.GeraldineRyan,ExecutiveChefatCOPEGalwayCommunity Catering, said, Our service is not new; how-ever, our approach to it is new in a sector which now needsto embrace change. While we have advanced significantlywith the production aspect of our service, we are proud tohave maintained equal emphasis on the value of the dailysocial contact. This is rated by older people as being ofequal importance to the food they receive. The flexibilityand the personalization of our service are unique. Ourability to respond in a way to our service users cannot beachieved via commercial ready-to-eat meals.THE LUNCH CLUBSA Place, A Song, A Meal TogetherAnother facet of COPE Galways outreach to older peopleistheirLunchClubprogram.Forthosewhoareable tocomeoutandsocializewithothers,COPEGalwaysponsors weekly Lunch Clubs at locations around Galwaywhere older people drop in, enjoy a beautifully preparedand nutritious meal, and also enjoy the social aspect of anconnect2012 | 18"