AgeSmart Blog
Good Coffee, Real Bacon, Before 8
What a Millstadt breakfast taught me about Men's Health Month
by Marjorie Moore | May 22, 2026
I like to start my weekend days early when I can. And the best weekends start with a trip to my favorite breakfast spot- Sunrise Pancake House in Millstadt. If I make it before 8:00 AM, the tables and booths will be full of older men, trading stories, sipping coffee together. As I’ve travelled, I realized that this isn’t unique to this restaurant. It’s true just about anywhere they have good coffee and real bacon.
You know the table I'm talking about. Maybe you're at it. Maybe you used to be. Over time, those tables change. Steve can’t get out because his wife with Alzheimer's needs him. Joe quit driving after an accident. Gary’s grandkids moved in with him. We lost Reggie to suicide last year.
As the table shrinks, the world moves on, but we feel that person missing.
Some of those empty chairs were inevitable. Some weren't. And that's the part we have to talk about.
What if Steve had caregiver support…someone to talk through the tough situations and find solutions that help him AND his wife stay at home, together, with some dignity. Maybe there’s even someone who can come into the house to stay with his wife and some funding to make sure that person is paid.
What if a group of volunteers committed to making sure Joe made it to breakfast each week?
What if Gary got some help with the grandkids, and some support for his particularly rebellious teenage granddaughter, along with some extra supplies to help his retirement check stretch while trying to feed teenagers.
What if someone had been checking in by phone to see how Reggie was? Someone who could have helped him see how much he’d be missed?
The truth is, those aren’t fictional things, but some of many real-life programs that anyone over 60 is eligible for through the aging network.
I keep thinking of all the Steves and Joes and Garys and Reggies I’ve known. You probably are too.
How do we make sure they’re at the table a little longer?
That's why AgeSmart and the aging network exists. Not as a last resort, but as the thing that keeps the table full a little longer. Caregiver support. Meals. A ride. A phone call on a Tuesday. Small things that turn out not to be small at all.
Last month during Older Americans Month, we said Champion Your Health. This month during Men’s Health Month, we're saying, let us help you do it.
AgeSmart and our partners serve anyone 60 and over. Call 618-222-2561 or take a look at our services to get started.
If all goes well, I’ll see you Sunday morning. Save us a seat.
You know the table I'm talking about. Maybe you're at it. Maybe you used to be. Over time, those tables change. Steve can’t get out because his wife with Alzheimer's needs him. Joe quit driving after an accident. Gary’s grandkids moved in with him. We lost Reggie to suicide last year.
As the table shrinks, the world moves on, but we feel that person missing.
Some of those empty chairs were inevitable. Some weren't. And that's the part we have to talk about.
What if Steve had caregiver support…someone to talk through the tough situations and find solutions that help him AND his wife stay at home, together, with some dignity. Maybe there’s even someone who can come into the house to stay with his wife and some funding to make sure that person is paid.
What if a group of volunteers committed to making sure Joe made it to breakfast each week?
What if Gary got some help with the grandkids, and some support for his particularly rebellious teenage granddaughter, along with some extra supplies to help his retirement check stretch while trying to feed teenagers.
What if someone had been checking in by phone to see how Reggie was? Someone who could have helped him see how much he’d be missed?
The truth is, those aren’t fictional things, but some of many real-life programs that anyone over 60 is eligible for through the aging network.
I keep thinking of all the Steves and Joes and Garys and Reggies I’ve known. You probably are too.
How do we make sure they’re at the table a little longer?
That's why AgeSmart and the aging network exists. Not as a last resort, but as the thing that keeps the table full a little longer. Caregiver support. Meals. A ride. A phone call on a Tuesday. Small things that turn out not to be small at all.
Last month during Older Americans Month, we said Champion Your Health. This month during Men’s Health Month, we're saying, let us help you do it.
AgeSmart and our partners serve anyone 60 and over. Call 618-222-2561 or take a look at our services to get started.
If all goes well, I’ll see you Sunday morning. Save us a seat.