Despite retirement often being viewed as a bright light at the end of the career tunnel, the transition can sometimes prove a process.
MRCI — a nonprofit serving people with disabilities or disadvantages — offers a program designed to ease individuals into their next stage and provide genuine opportunities in the years to come.
Aptly named, EASE stands for Embracing Aging through Social Engagement. Individuals, typically 55 years old and over, can attend the program on a full- or part-time basis, as some choose to continue to remain employed but with limited hours. Mankato’s EASE program currently has 52 participants.
“The program is very person-centered, meaning that they get to choose the experiences that they want to have or decide on a new experience they want to try. If we can make it happen, we’re going to make it happen,” stated Stacey Gore, MRCI’s community relations manager.
Some of those experiences include community activities, such as a recent outing to Fairmont’s Red Rock Center for the Arts. Volunteer opportunities are also available through organizations like Meals on Wheels and BENCHS, and in-house activities that range from pet therapy and exercises to bingo and karaoke.
A weekly calendar presents different themes and includes learning about different parts of the world.
“They learn all about that topic. They learn about the history, the culture — and the food is a big part of it,” Gore said. That food aspect is carried over into EASE’s cooking and baking class.
One recent cooking session focused on Afghanistan, and sabse borani — a spinach yogurt dip — was on the menu.
As participants filtered into the kitchen space, there was casual conversation and lighthearted humor.
Clarence Bye talked about his recent trip to Disney World and his love of roller coasters. Al Tetzloff shared he has been with MRCI for 55 years.
While MRCI’s East Park location was built in 2014, Tetzloff recalled several former locations he spent time at.
Sue Spellacy teaches the cooking class, and after hands were washed and gloves donned, she began by introducing the recipe and reviewing the instructions.
Spellacy provided a level of familiarity to the recipe as she asked if the group likes chips and dip. (They do.) Similarly, she explained, this dip will be eaten with naan.
They discussed what it means to chop finely, what wilted spinach will look like, and of course, there’s a word of caution that the chopped onions called for in the recipe could produce some watery eyes.
Participants shared their favorite foods to make.
For Chris Burger, it’s broccoli cheese soup. For Shelly Stoufer, spaghetti.
Some said they used to cook a lot, and some still participate with grocery shopping and cooking in their homes.
“Sometimes when our bodies change and we’re not able to do as much cooking, we miss that, don’t we? That’s why we do it at EASE,” Spellacy said. “We like to have you get that opportunity to cook.”
As onions are chopped and spinach is torn into smaller pieces, there is conversation about past jobs such as Bye’s work with Coloplast and the former restaurant Hilltop Tavern — including the potato salad they were perhaps best known for.
Along with sampling international foods, the group has made casseroles, cookies, breads and more.
Several of the individuals have cooking goals and they select a recipe they’d like to make. Sometimes the foods chosen are from an earlier period in their lives — a dish from their home or something they used to cook when they were able to do so more independently.
Besides the life skills that come from following a recipe and measuring ingredients, Gore said the class helps individuals with their motor skills, and it’s also a time for community and socialization.
Spellacy encourages the group to enjoy the process and the conversation and emphasized there’s no pressure on how the finished product looks.
“The outcome is kind of the secondary thing.”
As cleanup began, Spellacy took a moment to note how food brings people together. Memories are shared around the table, and she described it as almost like therapy.
“It’s just a nice way to be together.”