By Riley Fontana
Hometown Weekly Reporter
The Council on Aging (COA) of Westwood rang in summer with its annual barbecue for patrons and their guests. This event celebrated the start of summer with wonderful food and conversation. Organized by Council on Aging Director Lina Arena-DeRosa, the barbecue welcomed many members of the COA community to relax, eat, and enjoy the upcoming season.
The COA strives to ensure that the elderly in the Westwood community are well cared for, with affordable meals being one of their many initiatives. Volunteers from across Westwood helped serve and ensure everyone was fed. Members of the town select board, town hall committees, police and fire departments, and even state representatives attended the event. Throughout the meal, a live steel drum player provided bubbly music.
Seating was available both inside and on the patio for those who wanted to enjoy the sunshine while they ate. The lunch, catered by Conrad’s, featured classic barbecue favorites such as hamburgers, hot dogs, corn on the cob, potato salad, watermelon, and salad. For dessert, the COA offered ice cream sandwiches and cupcakes baked by Chef Thi of Powisset Farm.
Beyond the delicious food, every senior was entered into a raffle for Dunkin' gift cards and chocolate. This added a competitive element as everyone eagerly awaited to see if their number would be called. The COA hosts these meals to bring the community together and ensure everyone gets a hot meal, creating a space for seniors to socialize and meet people from the Westwood community. These events also allow COA directors to announce upcoming events and address community concerns. This week, the focus was on the upcoming heat wave and how the center will be open as a cooling station for those in need.
The Westwood Council on Aging welcomes everyone with open arms and is a wonderful asset to the community. They offer meals every day and host larger, specialized meals like the barbecue fairly frequently.
