PENDLETON — The Pendleton Eagle Lodge is beginning a new weekly lunch service for seniors.

Members of Aerie No. 28, in collaboration with Community Action Program of East Central Oregon, gathered for a second meeting Wednesday, Feb. 19, with local seniors at the lodge in downtown Pendleton to develop a plan to kick-start the program.

The lunch will be on Wednesdays, starting March 5, with doors open from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., and service from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Pendleton Eagles Lodge President Bob Fowler said Chef Lacey Snivel is planning the first lunch of oven-fried chicken with mashed potatoes and gravy, Malibu blanched vegetables with a lemon butter sauce, green salad and dessert.

“We’re going to have a dining area and also a second area, where people could gather at tables, visit, play card games or board games,” Fowler said.

The new program strives to provide a space for the seniors to get out of the house, enjoy a hot meal, socialize, play cards, participate in activities and re-engage with the community.

To help get the program off the ground, the lodge collected nearly $6,000 in donations from local businesses. CAPECO donated $2,600 to cover food operations through June 30 and will provide another donation after that.

As part of the service, CAPECO representatives will periodically offer wellness programs, where seniors can have their blood pressure checked, ask questions about services and resources and receive general information on safety and health.

Fowler said one or two senior facilities in town will provide shuttle buses for residents to attend the lunch. The lodge will request the city block off two parking spots at the entrance to allow for public transportation or caregivers to drop off seniors directly in front of the building.

Fowler said the meal is a way for seniors to connect with other people, and that matters.

“To get out of the house, meet some other people and just experience the general acknowledgement that people care about you,” he said. “  We’re helping people connect, we’re helping to keep us strong as a community, and we shouldn’t ever lose the importance of the sight of that.”

Seniors older than 60 can eat for free, though donations are encouraged. People under 60 will pay $7 for the meal.

The Pendleton Eagles Lodge is at 428 S. Main St. in downtown Pendleton.