Hats Off To The Havana Club
 

Praise should be given to the owners of the Havana Club Resturant for offering a FREE Christmas Eve dinner to those in TV who couldn't afford one.
I saw their pre-Christmas ad in The Daily Sun offering a wonderful meal in their resturant or delivered to homes if unable to travel. Apparently no questions asked! Just good will.
Today's paper had a good followup story on the success of the program.
I haven't been to The Havana Club too often, but now they are on my "must do often" list.
A wonderful give back to us Villagers!

:bigbow:

We went there last week. They weren't very busy.

Did you eat? How was it?

What is the food like?

Not bad. Not excellent.

I have been a unhappy with the food at Havana, but I must say, this latest chef and management has turned the restaurant around. I live very close so it is convenient for me after golf. In my opinion they have gone from the worst food in the Villages to a fine quality now. If you have not ate their in the last month or so, give it a try as they have made major improvements in quality coming out of the kitchen.

Thank you Havana! Nice to see people helping people.

I think most outsiders think that all TV people are upper middle class and not in need of a free meal?????:icon_hungry:

I don't think that all villagers are upper middle class but I really haven't met anyone who lived in the villages that needed a free meal.

AND there is no shame in that. You work hard all of your life and save and are careful how you spend your money and you plan and sacrifice in order to reach that level.

That doesn't mean that people that do need a free meal are bad or to be looked down on. It just means that we are no longer working and have a way to pay the bills when we are retired.

But of course that doesn't mean that there aren't a few people who would try to get anything for free.

I think Havana did a great service for folks who perhaps were going to be alone for Christmas. Also they provided "delivery" as well. There are those whose partner may be an invalid or very ill so they both can't get out. I'm VERY impressed with a restaurant that would do this for their community!! It was about "giving" and not expecting "something" in return. :bigbow:

Havana made a beautiful gesture in the Spirit of the Season. I resent those who deminish that gesture. Let's not complicate matters.

:agree:

I agree!
 

I totally agree, I find it compassionate and refreshing that they made that effort for people.

Havana deserves kudos. I appreciate what they did. Thanks!

You are right and I didn't look at it that way. For people who are alone or who needed a delivery meal.

And in so doing they will and should generate good publicity and it will bring good will to them.

Anther one who agrees
 

Thanks Whalen for saying it.

I am sorry. I was under the impression that it was offered to Villagers...alone. And I really do not see need here in TV. I do see need outside of TV.

I did not read carefully. My granddaughter thinks I have looked at this wrong. Maybe I am too proud.

There are people in The Villages who can't afford a meal? Really?

I wonder how many meals they delivered to The Villagers who couldn't afford a meal? Does anyone know?

With all due respect, I remember Whalen mentioning in another post, there are homeless people right outside our gates. With all due respect, wouldn't it have been more rewarding to get the meals to those people during the holidays then The Village People?

What am I missing?

Please don't tell me I am diminishing what they did, because this post is doing ANYTHING but diminishing what they did.

That's like giving Christmas gifts to the children of Beverly Hill who can't afford them.

graciegirl - my neighbor was in great need for this dinner as she is alone and dying of cancer. not much my snowbird neighbors and i could do for her - it provided her with a meal and enabled her to save her strength that day by not having to be frequently up and about stirring pots and tending to other essentials. i'm sure there are a fair number of villagers who do not have the social support that many of the posters here do. so even a 'merry christmas' from a delivery person stranger was a bright spot in my friend's day.

I know you are responding to Gracie, and my apologies for jumping in, but this just brings up MORE questions.

Your neighbor is alone, dying of cancer with no one to help her. She is too weak to fix a meal? Shouldn't she be in an assisted care facility or with family to take care of her? How does she make it day to day any other day?

Wow... Village Girl, you really must live in a bubble.... Believe it or not, there are MANY, MANY people that are so sick they can't fix a meal for themselves, that don't have family, that can't afford assisted care.....and some of them probably live in The Villages... Why is this so hard for you to believe? Why don't you take a look a Yahoo Real Estate and search "Foreclosures" in The Villages... you may be surprised some people can't even afford their homes, anymore...

I certainly wouldn't say there are not people who have overspent here or who are ill, but I think it might be you who is living in the bubble. To think the people living in The Villages are worse off then the people outside our walls who are homeless.

The point is, if you look outside The Villages, there are far more foreclosures and people who can't afford a meal. Their friends and neighbors are in the same shape, and "can't" help them.

that's correct, village girl. she has a home health aide who comes for a few hours a day to assist with the activities of daily living and her niece has arranged for a housekeeper to come in and clean weekly. the niece leaves her family and comes from a distance to spend the weekend for company and grocery/necessity shopping and to put medication in a wkly pill container. my friend does not want to leave her home until she requires hospice care. she's a tough old girl! whaddaya think of that?

I think that she is not so tough. She is a burden on her friends and family.

When I was younger, I met a man who planned his old age. He planed his assisted living and his nursing home. He didn't want to be a burden on anyone. He did a great job of it and live to a ripe old age without being a burden on his family. He could enjoy them and they could enjoy him.

I want to be just like him when I grow up!

you really are a sourpuss! she thanks god every day that she has people who love her and care about her and for her and who DON'T think she is a burden BUT is a GIFT!

I agree that she has people who love and care about her. I don't think that would change if she was in an assisted living facility. She has a niece who is taking care of her long distance. This niece is securing a house keeper, a nurse and is leaving "her family" to come "from a distance" to take care of her. I'm here to tell you. that will take a toll on a woman, cause stress, and could be destructive to "her" family. But this lady is not putting a burden on her family? I know you care for her and I truly appreciate that. I just don't find that healthy for your friend (who could live in a lovely assisted living apt) or her niece who wouldn't have take care of her.

I've seen your posts and know you not to be a mean person, so I know you didn't mean to call me a "sourpuss". I understand this is close to you. I agree I don't know the woman or her niece. I'm just stating, that if it were me, or one of my relatives, I would like them/me to be in a place where I would be cared for 24/7 and my friends and relatives can come and see me when they can with no worries.

I stand my ground... This woman needs to be in an assisted living facility!

I'm not sure how this post got so off topic, but I think the folks at Havana should be praised for doing a good deed during the holiday season. I didn't hear of or see any other Village businesses offering such a wonderful gesture for those who might be going through difficult times.

As for the detour of this thread, there are many who live in TV who are going through rough times. The economy is bad, prices are up for medical care, gas, groceries, etc. Some people lost substantial amounts of their retirement accounts (my father's 401K is valued at half of what it was only six years ago). Other lost money on the sales of their homes before moving here.

Some folks don't have the social support of family that many of us enjoy. My wife is an RN in the hospital here and she sees it on a daily basis- people who are sick, people who are not eating properly, people who withhold going to the doctor for too long because they are afraid of having to pay too much for their prescriptions or or having to make a copayment for doctor visits.

Sure, most of us are doing OK financially and we have the support of families, but there are many who do not. I think that Havana's gesture was a nice one for those less fortunate than ourselves.