Meals on Wheels Calls for Help, Funding Cuts Leave Seniors Hungry

Elizabeth Raybould prepares fresh fruit to be included in a lunch at the Olympia Senior Center.
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Submitted by Senior Services for South Sound

Elizabeth Raybould prepares fresh fruit to be included in a lunch at the Olympia Senior Center.
Elizabeth Raybould prepares fresh fruit to be included in a lunch at the Olympia Senior Center.

On July 9, Senior Services for South Sound (SSSS) started a waiting list for seniors in need of Meals On Wheels (MOW) in Mason or Thurston Counties. This means that community elders in need of a home-delivered meal who are not already enrolled in the program as of that date will not be served until additional program funding is secured. People need Meals On Wheels for a variety of reasons, including that they can no longer safely drive to the grocery store or stand long enough to cook their own meal. Some are just being released from the hospital or nursing home and need meals on a temporary basis. In addition to the Meals on Wheels waiting list, they are currently considering closing meal service days at two of our community dining meal sites.

“Our program provides seniors with nutritious meals, social support and a chance to have fun. We run an efficient and effective program, but we can’t tighten our belts any further,” said Cathy Visser, Senior Nutrition Director at Senior Services for South Sound. “More seniors than ever are in need of our services…unfortunately, food and fuel costs continue to increase and traditional funding streams are decreasing. Last year we lost federal funds.  This year, the decreases are being seen locally as community priorities have changed. It’s the perfect storm. At this point, I feel that the community needs to step forward and say enough, we support our community seniors!”

Each year, Senior Services for South Sound serves over 100,000 meals to 2,700 seniors in Mason and Thurston Counties. The meals are planned by a Registered Dietitian to meet 1/3 of a seniors daily dietary needs; and are modified to meet special dietary restrictions. The emphasis is on serving freshly prepared food and includes at least three servings of fruits and vegetables per meal. The program provides more than just food.

“Our Meals On Wheels volunteer delivery folks spend time with Meals On Wheels clients and develop friendships with the people they serve. For some of our more rural clients, their volunteer driver may be the only person with whom they have human interaction for the day or week. Our drivers provide a check on the welfare of seniors they serve…more than once a driver has arrived to deliver a meal and found a senior in distress. We’ve called “911” on a senior’s behalf twice in the past 6 months.” Cathy stated.

Senior Services for South Sound is now reaching out to the general public for help. “We can’t solve this problem in isolation,” said Eileen McKenzieSullivan, SSSS Executive

Rick Miller helps prepare chicken salad for Meals On Wheels lunch.
Rick Miller helps prepare chicken salad for Meals On Wheels lunch.

Director. “We want the local community to know that there is a need for meals for seniors and we need their support to make it happen.” Eileen explained that they cut Friday meals in Olympia and Rochester last year when a portion of their federal nutrition funding was lost. At that time, they reached out to the local senior assisted living community for help. “We were lucky to have a number of local Senior Living centers such as Evergreen Convalescent, Bonaventure, Capital Place and Puget Sound Health Care provide us meals for our site. We thought we would need their help for a few months, but they have continued to support Friday meal service at our Olympia Senior Center.”

Cathy and Eileen both explained that there are many ways to help. “While making a donation is a direct way to support our program, we are also in need of volunteers to prepare, serve or deliver meals. There are eight meal sites in Mason and Thurston County, stretching from Yelm, Tenino and Rochester in Thurston County up to Belfair in Mason County.” Eileen continued, “Every dollar really helps. While the meals are provided to clients for a suggested donation of $3-$6 per meal, they cost nearly $7 to prepare and the average donation we receive per meal is less than $2 dollars.” Eileen and Cathy both also mentioned that they are grateful for the ongoing partnership they have with the Lewis-Mason-Thurston Area Agency on Aging. “Really without their partnership, we wouldn’t be able to continue serving the meals we do.” Eileen stated.

If you would like to donate to the Senior Nutrition Program at Senior Services for South Sound or learn more about volunteer opportunities please call them at 360.586.6181 or visit their website at www.SouthSoundSeniors.org.

 

 

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