At Meals on Wheels, we’re committed to serving Sacramento seniors at all stages of their lives.
Our Restaurant Program from Meals on Wheels by Sacramento County offers a unique dining experience, providing nutritious meals at local restaurants, for seniors who are mobile and eager to engage within their local community. We partner with various local restaurants to provide dietitian-approved hot and ready meals to our participants visiting their locations. One of our partners is Young Cho, owner of local restaurant Sae Jong Tempura & Teriyaki in the College Glen neighborhood.
Young Cho moved from South Korea to the United States with her family in the 1990’s. She opened her restaurant doors in 1995, and since then has been a major pillar in the community for almost 30 years, providing her delicious Korean inspired dishes to her local patrons.
“I [have] lived in the same community, College Glen neighborhood, where my restaurant is so I have so many local customers. I’ve been involved in local school fundraising efforts and provided food to seniors during holiday seasons.”
Young started participating in Meals on Wheels to provide her Korean/Japanese inspired food to our senior population and connect with them as much as possible.
Young describes, “My favorite part of the program is to give additional opportunities to senior customers who are already my customers.”
Her favorite part of the program is seeing the social interactions the senior participants have within her restaurant.
“This program gives seniors a chance to go out and interact with other people and to try different types of food. I have participants who often have lunch dates and enjoy talking and socializing.”
Being in partnership with Meals on Wheels has given her an opportunity to give back and connect to her local community in a unique way through the support of her and Meals on Wheels staff,
“All of the staff from Meals on Wheels, especially Terri (Program Coordinator), has been a great help to organize and to set up the menus to [meet] the nutritional requirements of the [seniors].”
Like many restaurants across the nation, the Pandemic proved to be a challenging time in her life. She humbly shares her struggles,
“It was very hard for me to keep the restaurant open during the pandemic. However, participating [with] Meals on Wheels has been a very instrumental part of supporting my business financially and keeping us afloat.”
Our aim in our Restaurant Program is to not only connect seniors to their local eatery and supporting their overall meal intake, but to also support the local economy through the partnerships of family owned businesses.
After two years in partnership, Young Cho feels self-gratification to be able to impact so many seniors’ lives with her cultural dishes,
“I may play a small part but I hope that I’ve provided some happiness and comfort to those who utilize this program.”
Outside of work, Mrs. Cho is a dedicated member of her community who spends her time involved in various church activities and events, which helps her to stay connected with the people around her. Apart from this, she enjoys various hobbies including playing pickleball with other community members. We are proud to have Young Cho as a valuable partner in our Restaurant Program, and we appreciate her commitment to serving our senior participants in Meals on Wheels. With her involvement she is helping us to ensure that no senior goes hungry in Sacramento County.
Thank you, Young, for bringing joy and connection to our seniors!