LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — For five years, residents have gathered monthly for Soul Food Sunday in West Las Vegas, where one woman’s love of cooking has created a recipe for community connection.
Lola, the sole cook and organizer of the gatherings, prepares meals including smothered chicken with mushroom gravy, fried corn with stewed tomatoes and Hillshire sausages for neighbors seeking companionship.
“I don’t want a variety of things and I’m making soul food,” Lola said when asked why she doesn’t allow others to bring food.
Building connections through conversation
What started as casual conversations about favorite dishes has grown into monthly gatherings that bring together residents from the 55+ community.
“I’ll inquire with people, what are their favorite dishes? Just out of general conversation,” Lola said.
“I found someone that liked liver and onions. So I invited them to my house with some liver and onions. And then somebody else invited them over for something else they like.”
The gatherings have no set guest list, with Lola never knowing how many people will attend.
“They ask all the time, how many people are you going to have? I said, I don’t know. I never know how many it’s going to be here,” she said.
Addressing loneliness in senior community
Regular attendee Lexie Akerman said the gatherings address a common issue in senior living communities.
“When you live in a 55+ community, people get lonely,” Akerman said. “Come one and come all. Over time you become friends and over the years you kind of become like family.”
Frank Davis, another regular guest, praised Lola’s generosity beyond the monthly meals.
“You can just call her up and say ‘Hey Lola, I need something and she’ll come and see,” Davis said.
For Lola, the reward comes from seeing the impact on her guests.
“A smile on their face. They can say, I had a great day today. I had something I could do today, rather than being in the house, stuck in the house,” she said.
Akerman said she values both the friendship and the gatherings.
“I feel so blessed to have her for a friend and to be a part of these gatherings,” she said.
Soul Food Sunday previously occurred weekly but now takes place once a month. Lola welcomes anyone into her home for the community meals.
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