“Goot morninga effry vone. We velcom you today to vhat ve hope vill be an excitinga time as ve visit another lofley little community here on ta continent.

“Tis morninga, ve vill visit a place tat iss not too common in tis area — vhere tose who are retired and some who are a little to younga to retire can spend som time avay from home. There, volks can sit down, play a little cards maybe and enjoy a complimentary cup of coffee vile they visit vith each other. All tose who vud like to come, meet us on deck at 9 o’clock. Ya?”

This could be an odd introduction to the Lemont Community Nutrition Network Senior Nutrition Site, now called the CNN Community Cafe. However, it would seem appropriate as a means of inviting people to a pleasant part of a lifetime of adventure. I envisioned the greeting shortly after returning from a river cruise through parts of Europe, where similar messages became our regular morning welcome to new ports-of-call. The day we boarded the river ship, the hostess welcomed all on board and, in a heavy German accent, included a statement like, “Enjoy the lounges and open seating in the dining room and soon you will be traveling with friends.”

Each day was a new adventure for most and, like the hostess predicted, passengers spent time together learning and touring and then relaxing in the lounges. Sharing their views of this world adventure, many did become friends.

It was when we left the small ship behind and continued with a group we had come to know, that we recognized the value of the lounges. On land, even the lovely hotels had no convenient places where a large group could gather to relax and chat in comfort without spending a small fortune on food or drinks. A few lamented lost convenience.

Here in Lemont, it turns out that an ever-growing group has easy access to such comfort as they travel through life. It is the CNN Community Cafe, a place for seniors to visit and remain active, said Gwen Smith, cafe director.

Available to those 60 and older with the accompaniment of a spouse or friend if they like, the cafe is open from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday and is located in the Township Building, 1115 Warner Ave. A meal is included as part of the visit and is served at about 11:30 a.m. A $3 donation is requested.

“I’ve been going for about 10 years now,” said Loretta Cramer, a Monday regular. “It’s a wonderful place. I get there about 9 a.m., and about 15 of us sit at a table and play our card games.
“People are more than welcome to come and play cards, have lunch, play bingo or just chat,” she added. “We have a real nice time, and everyone’s friendly.”

With Baby Boomers beginning to sign up, Smith said the cafe is providing a wider food selection by adding a deli bar with soup and salad as an alternate lunch choice.

In addition, Smith said they are asking for donations for some of their cash-strapped seniors.

“We are having a shelf-stable food and basic necessities drive from Mondays, Dec. 1 through 15, to help some of our seniors out during the holidays,” Smith said. “Donations would be greatly appreciated.”

For more information, call (630) 257-0515.