Heartfelt Nine Years and More for Lunch with Friends

Nine years ago on July 20, 2017, a group of 30 seniors over 60 years old gathered at the Family Church on Winterberry Drive for the first Lunch with Friends. Crazy Flamingo restaurant sponsored the first luncheon, which served seniors from Marco Island, Goodland, Isles of Capri, and parts of East Naples.

According to Nancy Kot, of Our Daily Bread Food Pantry (ODBFP), the purpose of Lunch with Friends (LWF) was to gather people together and provide an opportunity to meet new friends, enjoy existing friends, and experience our community at its best!

On July 15, over 90 seniors attended the Lunch of Friends at the Marco Lutheran Church. On a sizzling hot July, the luncheon guests celebrated a Marco tradition of camaraderie, friendship, sense of belonging, and laughter. Pastor Jim Thelen of the Marco Lutheran Church summed it best with his blessing, “As we gather today for fellowship, laughter, and good conversation, we thank you and all who put their hearts and hands into this moment.”

Luncheon was prepared by Mister Crab Cakes and the guests listened to a presentation from the Florida Department of Health on fall prevention. Gary Kalman from the YMCA added a few exercise tips and demonstrations for seniors on how to age more gracefully by “resistance exercises” to improve balance and coordination and lower fall risk.

During the summer months of May, June, and July, though it is off-season, Lunch With Friends continues its popularity. For May, they had 115 guests and for June, 120 guests. For May, the seniors were treated to a presentation by Lisa Frey and her canine companion, Rodeo. Lisa is the President of “Got Your Six Service Dogs.”

For April, 2026, 145 seniors were treated to a short play by the Marco Island Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), along with members of the Marco Island Historical Reenactors, on the role of the women breaking barriers during the American Revolution.

Lunch is always a tasty delight, and for March, 2026, 175 seniors were treated by Chef Salvatore Pezzella from The Watermark of Marco Island. Dr. Paul Nussbaum, Chair of the Champagne Center for Brain Health, made sure the soul was also well nourished with his practical insights on brain health. For dessert, Chef Pezzella treated the seniors to Italy’s most beloved dessert, a rich and creamy Tiramisu.

The month of February 2026 saw a guest list of over 200 seniors who listened to an informative presentation by JW Marriott’s Area General Manager, Sharon Lockwood. She is an active volunteer for ODBFP, and the guests also enjoyed a platter of decadent dessert from their pastry chef.

Starting the new year, 2026, LWF welcomed over 199 guests hosted by Discovery Village of Naples, home to many seniors who used to live on Marco Island. Now, they are residents at Discovery Village but continue to attend the monthly luncheons.

Birthdays are special, and for July, five birthdays were celebrated! For a fun ending to LWF, door prizes are raffled out! A very big thanks to Wanda Schmelzer for her custom-made decorative pillows. She has been donating a pair as a door prize for the last nine years! And Happy 88th birthday to Wanda!

A big heartfelt thank you to all LWF’s sponsors and supporters for the last nine years and special mention to Al’s Pals, Our Daily Bread Food Pantry, Marco Lutheran Church, the YMCA and also to the group of monthly volunteers from the various organizations such as: San Marco Columbiettes, Marco Island Civic Association (MICA), Marco Chamber of Commerce, Marco Dementia Respite (MDR), United Church of Marco Island, Wesley United Methodist Church, NCH Urgent Care, The Arlington of Naples, Marco Island Center for the Arts, The Discovery Village at Naples, Coastal Breeze News, Marco Woman’s Club, and the Sunshine Sisters.