Jenny Davis (left, black shirt) and Kerrie Sullivan (brown shirt) visit with patrons at the Cave City Senior Luncheon.
By Andrea Bruner, White River Now
CAVE CITY – After losing their husbands six months ago, Judy Cotton and Elizabeth Broughton both felt the same longing to get out of the house and reconnect with the world.
They found exactly what they were looking for at the Cave City Senior Citizens Luncheon.
Held twice a month, the gathering is more than a lunch – it has become a vital community bridge that connects senior citizens, community sponsors, local volunteers and high school students.
The event is the brainchild of Jenny Davis, owner and pharmacist of Cave City Pharmacy, and Kerrie Sullivan, pharmacy technician.
Davis was recently named the Cave City Area Chamber of Commerce’s Citizen of the Year, and her service to the Cave City community through programs like the senior citizens luncheon makes her a natural choice for the honor.
A year ago, Davis and Sullivan were talking about the need for activities for senior citizens and saw an opportunity. Sullivan trained through a program at UAMS to get certified as a Community Health Worker, and as part of that process, she was looking at community needs and how she could help.
Sullivan said she’d heard a lot about how there used to be a senior citizens luncheon and how popular it was, but it had apparently “fizzled out” several years ago.
She said she could see a need, even with her own family and people she attends church with, for older people to stay connected and have that feeling of community, so she and Davis began brainstorming how to revive it.
Within a short time, the Cave City Nursing Home and the city of Cave City were both on board to help, as well.
Davis said they rent The Meadow on the first and third Thursday of the month, and lunch is served at 11, usually followed by bingo or occasionally a guest speaker.
The first event drew 30 people.
“Then it just exploded, especially in the warmer months,” Davis said. “Our record is 93; in the wintertime, we average about 60 or 70 a week.”
The luncheon draws people from Batesville, Ash Flat, Cherokee Village, Evening Shade, Poughkeepsie, Sidney, Saffell, Strawberry, Sandtown and other surrounding communities.
They do announce the luncheon on the Cave City Senior Citizens Luncheon Facebook page, and Mayor Jonas Anderson makes announcements, and word of mouth has helped as well.
“There’s a lady here who holds exercise classes, and they all go and talk about it talk to each other so that’s been good – they’ve brought in a bunch of people who wouldn’t have come otherwise,” Davis said.
Davis and Sullivan said there are some die-hards who come every time the doors are open, but others are only occasional visitors. The weather often affects attendance.
“They (the senior citizens) are so appreciative,” Davis said.
“They can’t wait,” Sullivan added. “Sometimes on the Thursdays it’s not held, they will call the pharmacy and ask, ‘Are you sure it’s not today?’”
Sullivan went on to say, “There’s a big need in small rural towns like this, with people on fixed incomes,” Sullivan said. “Seeing people choose, do we get groceries or medicine, that puts a strain and a stress on them, so we’ve created something that’s not stressful. They come hang out, get a free lunch, and sometimes there’s leftovers, and they get to take supper home. But that’s not stressful or something they have to think about or plan or organize. They just get to show up and enjoy the company and the food.”
When people ask about a minimum age, Davis said they don’t “card” anyone or give a minimum age, but they do say most of the attendees are ages 60-65 and older. However, sometimes attendees will bring family or friends in town visiting to the lunch, and Davis said they are welcome, too.
The menu varies each time, and no one is ever charged. Davis said they try to get sponsors for each meal, whether it’s the main dish, dessert or even bingo prizes. Sometimes, the sponsors will even send a few representatives to help serve and visit with attendees.
“That’s what we try to encourage because it is such a blessing, and we want people to come and experience that and feel that blessing like we feel it. We do have some businesses that can’t send people because they just don’t have the manpower to send staff, so those times we usually get the food in town,” Davis said.
Davis praised the partnership with Cave City Nursing Home, which provides meals at least once a month. “That has been a huge blessing – that means we don’t have to find as many sponsors.”
She said the nursing home also brings some of their residents who are able to attend, and they all love getting out.
Davis said the pharmacy is also a big supporter and often picks up any gaps to ensure luncheons continue to go on. There is also a donation cup at the door, but contributing is not mandatory.
In the past year, there was only one week where the lunch was held, and that was only because a holiday – namely, New Year’s Day – fell on a Thursday.
She also said there are plans to hold the luncheon weekly in the summer months, like last year. And once the watermelons start making, some of the local growers have committed to sending melons for the meals as well.
The first event was held on March 6, 2025, and it was two days later that a tornado ripped through the town. Davis said they considered postponing the luncheons but ultimately decided to power through to give the seniors a place to come, share, and heal.
Davis said she is surprised by how quickly the luncheon has grown and just how much it means to this community of approximately 2,000.
“We started this expecting 20 to 30 a week, and nine months later I’m applying for nonprofit status,” she said with a laugh. “It is 100 percent a God thing. It’s not a Cave City Pharmacy thing, or a Jenny and Kerrie thing or a nursing home thing. It’s been a God thing, and it’s been a huge blessing.”
Sullivan agrees. “To see how the community has stepped up and supported it, providing the meals, providing bingo prizes – you can see that everybody wants it, not just the senior citizens.”
When the new school year began, administrators at Cave City School called to see if some of their students could get their mandatory volunteer service hours by assisting at the luncheon. Davis and Sullivan were more than happy to have a few extra sets of hands serving food, bringing drinks, bussing tables – even calling bingo.
“It’s a lot of work, and those high school kids have been a game changer,” Davis said, noting that they’ve even had students as young as eighth grade to volunteer at the luncheons.
Sullivan said they are always looking for more businesses to partner with and sponsor meals or donate bingo prizes.
“We’ve gotten our community very involved – we even had a ladies’ group from one of the churches sponsor a meal. The dessert table – well, you can only imagine,” Davis said with a laugh. “It was unbelievable. It’s been great.”
“This would not be possible without my fabulous crew at the pharmacy. It takes all of us – it’s not me. I couldn’t do what I do without the support of my community for my business, but also the support of my employees,” Davis said.
Davis said she isn’t one to seek out credit, preferring to be behind the scenes instead. “I try to do the right thing for the right reason,” she said.
But Sullivan said there’s more to it. “If there’s a need in town and Jenny hears about it, she’s going to do everything in her power to help meet that need or figure out who can. She loves this town, she loves this community, and it shows in every single thing she does.”
“This town raised me. I am who I am and where I am because of so many influential people in my life in this town, and I want to be that person for others,” Davis said.
For many who attend, the draw isn’t just the promise of a delicious meal – it’s the social aspect that keeps them coming back.
“I love the fellowship – I live alone, and I love to talk,” Suzette Bates said with a laugh. “You get tired of talking to yourself.”
Harry and Wanda Curtis are also frequent attendees. Wanda joked that she gets to enjoy a good meal that she doesn’t have to cook, but she also enjoys visiting with the people.
Mary Ann Ray and Louise Wilkes agreed, both saying they get to see people they’ve not seen in a long time.
Debbie Boles said her sister invited her, but joked that she was too young to go. However, she was pleasantly surprised at how much fun she had. “If you weren’t happy when you walked through the door, you were when you walked back out.”
“I live by myself and tend to be a hermit, but I enjoy when I can come,” said Nancy Woodall.
Bob and Frankie Begin had been coming to the senior citizens luncheon before COVID, and when it died down, Bob joked that his wife “was bored out of her mind.”
Bob still works part-time as an attendant for a Medicaid transportation company, but Frankie is unable to work and was looking for something to get her out of the house.
“These are quite nice –it gets you out of the house,” said Frankie. “Every lunch we’ve had has been great.”
Bob said the luncheons are an important part of the Cave City community now. “There are a lot of people who come here that would have no interactions with anybody if it weren’t for this.”
All images by Andrea Bruner
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