Every Tuesday and Thursday from approximately 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., volunteers gather at Island Church in Langley to serve a free community meal.

Among them are some of the oldest South Whidbey residents, including four nonagenarians who pour coffee, hand out sandwiches, ladle soup and wash the dishes.

Jean Matheny, 92, joined the soup kitchen in 2003 shortly after it opened. She served as its leader for nearly two decades.

“When I turned 90, I decided I wouldn’t have to cook anymore,” she said with a laugh.

Her friendly presence and welcoming smile can put any newcomer at ease. These days, she’s in charge of setting up the day’s menu board, making coffee and taking care of donations.

“Just maybe coming here gives me a purpose to get going every Tuesday and Thursday,” she said.

Sally Berry, 90, and Rich Pack, 92, could be found in the serving line this past Thursday. Dressed in a turkey apron, Pack handed out chicken salad, ham and cheese, and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, while Berry scooped pork and beans soup, grinning from beneath the shadow of her bejeweled baseball cap. A large bowl affixed with a handmade label informed guests of “Sally’s Homemade Croutons.”

“Cooking is my passion,” Berry said, recalling with a laugh her seventh grade home economics teacher who called her a sloppy cook.

This week, Berry had baked a blueberry crisp, which she arranged neatly on the buffet table.

Like Matheny, Berry is a longtime volunteer at Island Church’s soup kitchen. A little over five years ago, she convinced Pack, her companion, to join her in helping out.

When asked if the couple had any wise words of advice for youngsters, Berry responded, “Be active.” Pack added, “One day at a time.”

The soup kitchen’s oldest volunteer, 97-year-old Gene Parmelee, was absent that day but others had plenty of stories to share about “Uncle Gene.” Maria Cablao marveled at how kids can complain about washing the dishes when Parmelee, who is nearly a centenarian, does it regularly.

“You know what the secret is to a long life? It’s the joy that they have for serving others,” Cablao said of those in their 90s who still volunteer in the soup kitchen. “They give, ‘cause it’s like boomerang. You give out, it comes back to you twofold.”

She pointed to social groups as being a strong indicator for why those in their old age are doing so well.

“If you took the average age of these people, the reason why they’re not in nursing homes is ‘cause they’re here,” she said.

(Photo by Kira Erickson/South Whidbey Record) Rich Pack serves a sandwich to a community member.

(Photo by Kira Erickson/South Whidbey Record) Sally Berry shows off her homemade croutons.