Ribbon cutting held for CHEER’s Florence Mason Central Kitchen

Sussex County CHEER held a dedication ceremony June 18 for a new, state-of-the-art kitchen named in honor of retired Food Services Director Florence Mason.

Construction began in October 2020 on the $1.9 million, 6,400-square-foot facility with the capacity to produce more than 2,600 meals a day for Sussex County senior citizens, said CHEER CEO Ken Bock. 

More than 500 donors contributed to the fundraising effort for the kitchen, which opens with no debt, Bock said. Naming the facility after Mason was appropriate, he said, as she dedicated 27 years of her life – more than half of the center’s 50-year existence – working to serve millions of meals to generations of seniors.

Mason said the dedication ceremony finalizes her retirement, which occurred in December 2019.

“I love the seniors, and I don’t want to see anybody go to bed hungry,” Mason said. “I went into homes of seniors that broke my heart, and came back to Ken and said, we gotta do something for this person, and he always said, do what you gotta do.”

Mason said she loved working for an organization that cares.

“My heart is here and will always remain here, even though I don’t live in Delaware anymore, but I always love CHEER,” she said.

For more information on CHEER services, go to cheerde.com or call 302-515-3040.