Three times a week, 52 weeks a year, 20 or 30 senior citizens gather at the Little Compton Community Center to enjoy each other’s company and have a nice lunch prepared in-house by a talented local executive chef.

The volunteer waitstaff at the Little Compton Communuty Center is friendly and efficient, and the dining room is cozy and charming. And with a suggested donation of $4 per person, these meals are without question the best deal in town.

They’re also a hot ticket. Last year, more than 8,700 meals were prepared and served in house, picked up or delivered, a 77 percent jump over the roughly 4,900 meals served in 2022. And currently, there is a waitlist for individuals who want to participate.

The senior lunches are one of the programs managed by Amy Mooney, executive director of the private, non-profit community center. Last week, while giving visitors a mid-day tour, she described the phenomenal growth of the meals program in the past two years and her vision for its future.

“We have grown as word has spread,” said Mooney.

That day, executive chef Dave Reniere had created 72 meals — including made-from-scratch chicken pot pies — in the tiny kitchen adjacent to the dining room. About 30 meals were served in-person, with the balance was slated for pickup or delivery to local households by volunteer drivers.

Upgrades on the way

Funding for the center’s senior meal program and its other activities comes from town appropriations, grants, fund-raising events, and donations from private donors and organizations.  Mooney said the center has prioritized a capital improvement plan that includes kitchen upgrades for more efficient workflow, as well as new countertops and updated cabinets. The purchase of a walk-in refrigerator and freezer is also planned. The improvements, she said, will allow output to keep up with ever-increasing demand.

Community connections

Little Compton is somewhat unique, Mooney said, because of its disproportionately large number of senior citizens, many of whom live alone. In addition to its low-cost meals, she believes the lunch program fills a critical need by allowing neighbors to connect and socialize, as do other programs offered throughout town by non-profits such as the library, the Wellness Center, and the Historical Society.

“People come here for more than just a meal. After COVID, when we were all forced to stay away from each other, I think we now understand more than ever the value of connecting with each other, with our community, and with finding our support systems.”

Mooney credits Reniere for much of the lunch program’s success. Hired in the summer of 2022, he came with impressive credentials, having served through the years as an executive chef at various five-star resorts, hotels, restaurants and golf courses, including the Sakonnet Golf Club in Little Compton.

“I love it here,” he said. “Out of all my jobs, this is probably the most satisfying. It’s more casual here, and people seem to appreciate you more. People become your friends.”

He is responsible for creating menus, grocery shopping, and meal prep. Kitchen support is provided by Jane Garrett, a center employee, and a team of volunteers.

The most popular meals for the seniors are homestyle, comfort foods such as roast chicken and turkey dinners — “like the stuff they grew up with,” said Reniere.

Typically, on the days meals are served, he will come in around 8:30 a.m. and have everything done within a couple of hours. Sometimes prep work begins the day before if the menu includes more time-consuming dishes such as beef stroganoff or pot roast.

Those dining in last week, such as Little Compton resident Marcia Pratt, gave him rave reviews.

“The food is unbelievable,” she said. Does she have a favorite dish? 

“It’s impossible to name a favorite, it really is. It’s just all so good.”