Contributed by Charice Chambers
Friday is fish day at the Palmer Senior Center! Seniors lined up early because it marked the highly anticipated annual Silvers for Seniors dinner. Head cook Yosef Assis didn’t disappoint with beautiful red fillets topped with thinly sliced lemons and capers. There was even an optional lemon butter sauce. The oohs and aahs could be heard throughout the room, and soon the fish stories began: the one that got away, the memories of youthful family fishing trips, the tales of smoke houses filled to the rafters with bright red salmon strips. It was clear that this dinner evoked many memories for folks who might not share such meals, if it were not for this annual event.
Silvers for Seniors. Is the brainchild of fisherwoman Page Herring. With the help of husband and fellow fisherperson, Bob Cellers, Herring convinced her fellow members of Northern District Setnetters to donate a portion of one day’s catch during the summer fishing season to the senior center in Palmer. They enthusiastically agreed. For over a decade they have annually participated in the event with the exception of last year, when seas were simply too dangerous to attempt to fish on either day chosen for the catch. Each year Copper River Seafoods provides a tote with ice in which to collect and transport the fish.
Once the silvers are delivered to the center, a team of seniors goes to work gutting and prepping the fish for consumption. The job includes removing all the pin bones, a tedious task. This year there was a problem. The crew that had performed this task for as long as most could remember, had fallen prey to the hazards of old age: too many injured shoulders and rotator cuff replacements sidelined the group. In true Alaskan style, the call went out for help, and by nine o’clock in the morning on delivery day over a dozen volunteers had arrived to work on the fish. Meg Forrester was entirely new to the process and came to learn how salmon were gutted and prepped. She had cut up chickens in the past, so she was sure that she could learn to cut up fish. She was right. After a bit of instruction and observation, she was wielding her knife like a pro. Taylor York had trouble standing for long periods of time, so he brought his needle nose pliers and several friends to work as pin bone removers. Soon steaming mugs of coffee dotted the tables between bright orange fish fillets and volunteers. Two seniors appointed themselves as quality control and were seen sending several fillets back with a few more pin bones to be removed. With over a dozen volunteers working together; in less than two hours the fillets were ready to become memorable dinners and clean up was nearly complete.
This year’s Slivers for Seniors donation will be put to good use. According to Head Cook Yossi, the Center will be able to provide nearly 140 salmon dinners to local seniors and an additional 110 meals to home bound seniors and eligible individuals through the Meals on Wheels program. Additional silvers will be used for other salmon based dishes throughout the fall season.
During the last fiscal year, Palmer Senior Center has provided 12,400 nutritious congregate meals in their community dining facility. Additionally, 7,250 meals were delivered to home bound seniors and eligible individuals during the same period.
“We have the honor to serve this vulnerable population with food, for which there is no greater honor. Our seniors have spent so much of their lives giving to others, and now we can have the privilege of giving to them, “ said CEO Brandy Burchett of the Silvers for Seniors program.