Council On Aging Expands Senior Meals, Services In Century And Cantonment

September 21, 2026

A $62,500 grant approved by Escambia County commissioners is restoring and expanding free meal services for older adults living in rural North Escambia.

The funding, awarded to the Council on Aging of West Florida, targets low-income seniors in Century, Cantonment and surrounding areas who face ongoing food insecurity and high grocery costs. For many elderly residents living in remote corners of the county, limited transportation and a lack of nearby supermarkets have made getting fresh, healthy groceries a regular challenge.

“The grant allows us to provide services in rural communities that are typically harder to reach for social services, or any kind of service really,” said Emily Echevarria, the Council on Aging’s spokeswoman. “We need to use that in Century at our dining site. We can also provide social services and case management, along with Meals on Wheels. We can also add people to our dining site on Nine Mile Road at St. Luke’s Methodist Church.”

Under the expanded program, hot, freshly prepared lunches will be served on a steady schedule Monday through Thursday at the community dining site at 6025 Industrial Boulevard in Century and St. Luke Methodist Church at 394 East Nine Mile Road. The sites had previously faced service reductions, cutting back on the days it could provide hot meals as operational costs climbed and older-adult nutrition budgets tightened.

While other Council on Aging dining sites have a wait list, the county grant is allowing the Council on Aging to add dining site clients at both Century and at St. Luke’s.

Last Friday, the nonprofit held a Senior Resource Fair at the Century dining site, and hopes to have similar resource fairs and signup events in the future.

For more photos, click here.

“Because we have this rural funding, we can add clients at those two sites, so this means a free hot meal in the middle of the day, Monday through Thursday,” Echevarria said. “But more importantly, it’s socialization, it’s friendship. This is the place for anyone 60 or older to go and be with their peers.”

Beyond providing balanced nutrition, the dining facilities serve as crucial hubs to combat rural isolation. Seniors who visit the centers can socialize, participate in recreational activities, and connect with health checks and other essential elder services.

“They play bingo; each dining site has their own kind of flavor and activities,” she added. “Their own dining site manager manages all of that, and it’s a fun place to go. It’s a group of people that are going to call if you stop showing up and figure out what’s going on, what’s wrong, and be there to support you. That connection is extremely important for older adults who are at a high risk of isolation.”

The county funding steps in to bridge that gap after earlier pandemic-era relief expired and broader federal funding levels shifted, leaving local providers struggling to keep up with kitchen labor, utilities, and ingredient expenses. Without local intervention, several rural dining centers had been operating on shortened schedules or relying heavily on non-perishable food distributions.

There are also Meals on Wheels openings for home-delivered meals at Century and Nine Mile Road, but there is a signup process and assessment. To register, an individual can visit one of the dining sites during its hours, or call the Council on Aging at (850) 432-1475.

Pictured: The Council on Aging of West Florida held a senior resource fair on Friday, September 15 at its Century senior dining site. NorthEscambia.com photos, click toe enlarge.

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Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under TOP STORIES