A county-sponsored senior support group is providing a subculture of Whidbey Island the outlet needed to help stave off loneliness and isolation while fostering rich friendships.

Coupeville counselors Jerome Rosen and Jan Pickard had discussed facilitating a group for seniors and discovered that Jackie Henderson, of the Island County Health Department, had identified needs within the senior community that she believed merited county action. Together, Henderson and the two counselors crafted a vision for the group and with the county’s allotment of $10,000 each year for the program, Food & Schmooze was launched.

“They may have lost their spouse or they may not have family here or a lot of friends,” Pickard said. “The county had become aware of these kind of issues through other resource providers and wanted to contract with us so that folks could have a support group where they could discuss concerns with peers, things that are going on in their lives. And the county would foot the bill for it.”

The timing was fortuitous, Pickard added. The Coupeville Food & Schmooze group began meeting in May of last year on the first and third Mondays at the Cam-Bey Senior Apartments from 1 to 2 p.m. Oak Harbor seniors meet on the second and fourth Mondays at the Regency on Whidbey.

Seniors are often transplants moving closer to their children. The relocation process and the ensuing isolation can be traumatic for the person. Both Rosen and Pickard share a love for seniors and the opportunity to provide an outlet has been a joy for the pair of specialists.

“I’ve worked with a variety of people and I’ve always had an interest in working with seniors,” Rosen said. “Anyone who works in this field knows how isolated seniors are.”

Pickard relishes the time spent with area seniors, a demographic that has been an integral part of her life growing up in Coupeville.

“I grew up here and I’ve always known the older people in the community and they’ve always been a big part of my life,” she said. “It’s a great opportunity for Jerome and I to do something together that we both really appreciate. It’s been a nice blend.”

Interest from seniors on South Whidbey has prompted the county to implement a program in their community, which the county is currently looking into. Time and geographic constraints will preclude the two counselors from facilitating the South Whidbey group, but highly capable individuals would be recruited to run the show.

“I think it’s wonderful that there is a resource the county is committed to,” Rosen said.

Each group meeting begins with a check-in period, in which the attendees discuss the happenings in their respective lives. From there, the structure is more open and informal.

“The group has evolved,” Rosen said. “The things they talk about tend to be pretty consistent, mostly family, health problems, or other concerns.”

“We guide the process and are attuned to the group dynamic,” Pickard added. “We try to make sure people are able to be heard.”

As each person weaves their unique story at the round table, the group becomes emotionally closer and the candor elicits more responses from people who might otherwise keep their thoughts and needs internalized.

“When they come to the group, their story gives meaning to their lives,” Rosen said.

Food & Schmooze is not only a catharsis for seniors, but also an educational experience, with guest speakers visiting the group to provide information about available resources. A representative from Citizens Against Domestic and Sexual Abuse has spoken to the group in the past.

The Coupeville group recently lost its first member, Iris Kroon, also the first death since the meetings began.

“It’s like losing a family member,” Rosen said. “It’s a source of comfort to be able to talk about it. You use that as part of their grieving process.”

Although the Cam-Bey group has experienced steady attendance, the Oak Harbor meetings are still gaining steam. Rosen said many seniors are in denial, reluctant to deal with the inevitable problems. Once they get to the group, the barriers dissolve and fellowship begins. He said the member who recently passed away was a big reason people came.

“She went around and grabbed people,” the counselor said. “She recruited for us. I think otherwise, the people in Coupeville would have had the same reaction. I think it will take off in Oak Harbor.”

For Nancy Teesdale, 61, the group cannot meet often enough.

“We share our feelings, we share what’s happening in the world or in our own private lives,” she said. “I just love this group. I’d come everyday if we had it everyday.”

Physical ailments and maladies are a reality for the demographic frequenting the meetings. Teesdale, a member since the beginning, had been apprehensive about undergoing tests. The group helped her work through her fears.

“I feel better if I talk about it,” she said. “There’s just a lot of support.”

Shirley Haugland, 74, enjoys having a forum to discuss not only problems but positive goings-on. The group has helped her express feelings she has been prone to keep bottled up.

The affable Peggy Davis, 80, cherishes the group for its open communication lines. Ultimately, she said her faith in God works out even the most complicated issues.

“It’s good to listen to other people’s problems,” Davis said. “I try not to have any problems. I just try to forget about them. Sooner or later, God works things out. I don’t get hysterical. You gotta have faith.”

The added perspective from different group members has been valuable for Roma Hixon, 79, the assembly’s “puzzle guru.”

“I get to hear things from four or five different points of view,” she said. “It gives me another way to look at things. I can look at it from several paradigms and not be saying it all myself so much. I find that there are times that I can be helpful from my point of view. I don’t know how long it lasts or how effective it is, but I make an effort.”

Even after the meeting concludes, the relationships and dialogue can continue, Hixon added. A transplant from the nation’s heartland, she has been adapting to a different area and manner of living. The group has helped ease the transition.

“There’s nice camaraderie here,” she said. “You get to feeling closer together and you don’t feel so alone.”

For more information about Food & Schmooze, contact Rosen at 678-0804 or Pickard at 678-8800.