Act your age? City serves meals anyway

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - It's a deal hard to pass up, a huge breakfast for $1.50 even if you're too young to qualify for it.

Seven senior centers are serving up the hot cakes, burritos and eggs for that price.

It's meant for those over 50 years old, but KRQE News 13 has learned other people are taking advantage of it.

After hearing that people of all ages are eating up for a buck-fifty, including city workers, News 13 sent a photographer in with a hidden camera.

April Jojola, the manager for Albuquerque's senior centers, said the city requires a membership, and you must be 50 years old to join. But News 13 found that's not always the case.

Ryan, a News 13 photographer, is 32 years old. Of the five times he ate at senior centers, he was only turned away once.

An employee at another center asked if he had a membership card and when Ryan said he didn't, the employee responded, "Don't worry about it. That's fine."

Time after time, Ryan chowed down on eggs, toast, bacon, hash browns, coffee and juice.

"We're a public agency, and for the most part, we do not deny services to anyone" Jojola told News 13. "We allow for the occasional drop-ins or visitors.

"If we notice it becomes a pattern, we'll pull you aside and ask, 'Do you have a membership?' "

Jojola also told us the staff also refers people of all ages to the Manzano Mesa center where people of all ages can eat.

City Councilor Sally Mayer says Albuquerque is not a food pantry or a restaurant. If the centers don't start turning people away, the program could go belly up, she said.

"The money we put into seniors is supposed to benefit seniors," Mayer said. "There's always those people who ruin it for everyone, the person who says, 'I pay taxes; I want a dollar-fifty breakfast."

Once News 13 started asking questions about the policy, managers reminded staff that the meals are just for seniors.

But Jojola conceded the centers still won't turn away an occasional underage drop-in.