Plated With Purpose: Caridad Serving Seniors with More than Meals
Caridad’s Senior Meal Program has long been a lifeline for older adults in Tucson, offering not just food, but dignity, connection and care.
Behind every plate is Chef Kyle Okurily, who has guided the program for six years. Menu planning is a true balancing act: weighing costs, ingredient availability, cultural relevance, labor, and above all, nutritional needs. The result? Meals that are not only nourishing, but well-received by the senior community.
The program’s impact extends far beyond the kitchen. Drivers, hired by partner agencies, run consistent routes, building trusted relationships with seniors. They often serve as informal wellness checkers, ensuring safety and companionship along with delivery. Some travel as far as Green Valley daily, while city site partners become fixtures at senior centers, joining in activities like karaoke and crafting.
Finding Strength Through Change
But the program now finds itself in transition. Last year, the program prepared and delivered close to 250,000 meals.
Funding challenges, however, have drastically shifted the landscape. Major state budget cuts led two key partner organizations to discontinue their senior meal services, putting the future of the senior meal delivery program in limbo.
But there is a silver lining as Caridad repositions itself to continue to be leaders in senior home delivery.
The kitchen has been able to pick up approximately 40% of the lost meals through its congregate meal program, and the loss of the delivery program allows Caridad “to better reallocate resources and be positioned for what unknowns the future has to offer,” according to Benjamin Howell, Caridad Program Operations Supervisor.
Howell also adds that seniors participating in home deliveries are still receiving food, “just not from us.”
Looking Toward Tomorrow
“It’s an exciting time,” said Todd Eanes, Caridad Associate Director. “We’re eager to launch new and innovative programs so that we can feed more people.”
As Caridad looks ahead, the team is exploring new ways to serve seniors, and while challenges remain, the mission is clear.
“Our goal is to serve people nutritious and delicious food with dignity,” said Howell. “We aim to steward our resources to the best of our abilities and make wholesome food with love and nourishing our community. We want to continue to be leaders in senior meals, we hope that we are able to return to feeding the number of people we used to, and even more.”