Buckingham Place offers transportation, Meals on Wheels programs
By: Courtney Gross
Having typically taken care of seniors within its South Brunswick facility, Buckingham Place Assisted Living and Adult Day Center is now extending some of its services into Princeton.
From transporting Elm Court residents to doctors’ appointments and the Princeton Shopping Center to preparing meals for the American Red Cross of Central New Jersey, the senior living center is taking on community-related programs and projects where other agencies have been unable to continue.
The assistance began when Buckingham Place provided transportation to lower-income residents of Princeton’s Elm Court senior housing development in the spring of 2005 after the American Red Cross of Central New Jersey could no longer offer it, Buckingham Place representatives said.
Since then, every Thursday a Buckingham Place van sails down Elm Road, where it picks up more than a dozen seniors to visit various shopping centers.
Buckingham Place Executive Director Dean Vlecides said in a prepared statement that the center will attempt to accommodate the service for as long as possible.
"Our philosophy has always been that if we can provide a service and it makes sense, then we try and see if it works," Mr. Vlecides said. "Here was a transportation need which we considered and found a way to make it work."
And this month, Buckingham Place has taken on another good deed for the Princeton community.
Having already provided the service to Hightstown residents, the Buckingham Place kitchen has begun to prepare meals for Princeton residents associated with the American Red Cross of Central New Jersey’s Meals on Wheels program, which provides meals to those in need.
Picked up daily, both lunch and dinner are now being prepared for these residents at Buckingham Place.
Wilson Reynoso, director of dining services for Buckingham Place, said in a prepared statement, "I’m glad the residents of Hightstown are enjoying the meals we prepare each day."
He added, "My kitchen is serving about 30 meals per day for residents in Hightstown, in addition to the 150 meals per day for Buckingham residents, and now that we have a system in place, and things are running smoothly, my staff is ready to take on the next challenge."

