Whenever praise comes in from the Madras senior citizens, the inmates that prepare their meals at Deer Ridge Correctional Institution smile.

The praise is a reward for the small group of inmates in the prison kitchen who prepare meals for the Madras Senior Center. Through food, the inmates have forged a bond with people they will likely never meet as they help to provide an important boost to some of the area’s low-income seniors.

The meals are so good, and there’s a waiting list of people who need Meals on Wheels because they’re homebound. The program would add them if it had more funding.

Every month, inmates prepare about 490 hot meals that are then delivered three times a week to the senior center. Another 1,488 frozen meals are prepared for Meals on Wheels volunteers to deliver.

Deer Ridge inmates began cooking for the Madras seniors in 2008 as part of a culinary program that enhances their skills.

“The food is excellent,” said Cathy Lang, Council on Aging of Central Oregon director of nutrition services. “The (senior citizens) are always satisfied, and the affordable pricing offered by Deer Ridge allows the senior center to invest in additional community services.”

Nutritious food a top need for seniors

Having access to nutritious food ranks among the top needs for senior citizens in terms of staying healthy, according to The State of Hunger in 2021 report by Feeding America, a network of 200 food banks nationwide. More than 5.5 million seniors in the United States, age 60 and older, didn’t have enough food in 2021, and their ranks are expected to grow to 7 million by 2050, according to the report.

In Oregon, about 10% of the seniors don’t have enough food to lead an active, healthy life, which is the definition of food insecurity, according to Feeding America. The state ranks 32nd for hunger and 48th in terms of seniors who are at risk of being hungry, according to the data.

What’s more, only 21% of the seniors in Oregon eat three or more vegetables a day, and 44% eat two or more fruits a day, according to Meals on Wheels America.

“A nutritious diet is not just a luxury,” Lang said. “It is the cornerstone for older people to maintain good health and live independently.”

Healthy, balanced meals stave off chronic diseases and health conditions for senior citizens, Lang said.

Some of the food insecurity comes from seniors living at the poverty level, as set by the federal government. About 14% of people age 65 and older in Oregon live in poverty, about the same as nationwide, according to 2021 data from the Oregon Employment Department. Roughly 20% of the people in poverty in Jefferson County are 65 and older, according to a five-year population estimate by the U.S. Census Bureau.

By comparison, in Crook County, 25% of the people in poverty are 65 and older, according to the 2022 U.S. Census Bureau five-year population report.

“A combination of being on fixed incomes while trying to navigate rising cost of living, results in many older adults not being able to put enough, or enough nutritious food on their tables,” Lang said.

Seniors say inmates cook up tasty meals

The food prepared by the Deer Ridge cooking program is tasty, said Eva Montee, a Madras Senior Center volunteer and wellness coordinator.

“We serve people from Culver and Metolius to the start of Warm Springs,” said Montee, 85. “The Culver route is a 50-mile route roundtrip, and the drivers, all volunteers, make the trip three times a week.”

The menus are a collaboration, with input from the seniors eating the meals, the community center kitchen manager and the prison. Generally, sandwiches or burgers are not well-received, but the casseroles, pot pies and meatloaf get gobbled up. And the seniors have a love-hate relationship with Jell-O.

“Their bakery is fabulous,” said Montee. “They make cinnamon rolls, bread sticks and fresh dinner rolls.”

Louise Muir, a volunteer who is the building manager for the Jefferson County senior center, said the soups are outstanding and the seniors really like that.

“In the beginning, the seniors were a bit dubious about the program,” said Muir, 88. “But the inmates are supervised, and there’s no risk. We had spaghetti today. I heard lots of compliments on it.”

When the inmates prepared pot pies recently, they carved designs into the pastry dough top for a special effect for the senior citizens, said Bill Peterson, Deer Ridge Correctional Institution food services manager.

“(The adults in custody) take a lot of pride in what they do,” said Peterson. “They want to be sure that everything is clean and organized.”

A chance to give back

Many of the inmates preparing the meals have never worked in a kitchen before, said Ross Pritchard, Deer Ridge Correctional Institution lead food services coordinator.

Three inmates are in the culinary program now. The inmates must apply for a position in the culinary program. Candidates must have a work history in the institution kitchen and speak before an interview panel before being selected, Pritchard said.

The inmates can obtain culinary certification after completing 2,000 hours of training with food service coordinators, 50 hours of study and receive a passing score on the final exam. The certification will help them gain employment after they’re released.

“They have to show good behavior, and we have to trust them,” Pritchard said. “We only take four or five guys.”

One inmate said to Peterson: “I’ve spent the better part of my life taking from the community. Cooking for the Jefferson County Senior Center is giving me a chance to give back. Plus, I like to cook.”

Series: Hunger in Central Oregon

One in 5 residents of Central Oregon is hungry too often. Civic leaders, organizations and volunteers fighting to solve the problem say hunger goes deeper than most people are aware. The Bulletin is shining a light on the situation and the community’s efforts to address it.

• Hunger in Central Oregon: Food security is more than subsistence: the changing reality of hunger 

• Food banks: Myriad options in Central Oregon for donating to food banks

How you can help

What can you do if you suspect someone doesn’t have enough food?

The food pantries in Central Oregon all are low-barrier, meaning no paperwork is required to prove need. Anyone can go to a food pantry and shop for free food and can even get food for others. The only information required is name, ZIP code, number of people living in the home and a signature. Go to https://www.neighborimpact.org/providers/ for a list of food pantries in Central Oregon. The website can filter information by language and geography.

Series: Hunger in Central Oregon

One in 5 residents of Central Oregon is hungry too often. Civic leaders, organizations and volunteers fighting to solve the problem say hunger goes deeper than most people are aware. The Bulletin is shining a light on the situation and the community’s efforts to address it. Previously published stories in the series are:

Tuesday 

• Hunger in Central Oregon: Food security is more than subsistence: the changing reality of hunger 

• Food banks: Myriad options in Central Oregon for donating to food banks