SIDNEY — Nutrition Services of Shelby County served over 39,000 hot meals in 2018 to senior citizens in their homes and at the congregate sites. “2019 is our 23nd year of serving the seniors in Shelby County,” said Darlene Prater, Nutrition Services coordinator.
Her report continues:
Her report continues: The Home Delivered Meal Program brings hot, nutritious lunchtime meals Monday through Friday to homebound seniors. We have three routes for this program and in 2018 we travelled over 44,000 miles to provide meals. This service enables seniors to remain independent and living in their own homes. Other than being just a “hot meal” our drivers are a “friendly face” and many times the only contact with the outside world each day. Along with providing a daily safety check on the client’s well-being, we ensure that families are alerted to problems such as increased confusion or a decline in their loved one’s health. On several occasions our drivers have gone above and beyond to help with an emergency situation.
Consider home-delivered meals if you are looking for a useful gift for a homebound senior, or need us to provide short or long-term meals. These meals are a valuable service when returning home from surgery, therapy or a hospital stay, and will simplify the transition back to independent living. If you are a homebound senior and are finding it hard to provide for nutritional needs, please contact us.
Nutrition Services also has five congregate meal sites for seniors who are mobile and interested in socializing over a nutritious meal with other seniors. Please consider one of the following meals sites:
Nutrition Services operates a Senior Breakfast Program. Vouchers are distributed by Nutrition Services and then can be redeemed at Clancy’s during their regular breakfast hours. A choice of 4 senior breakfasts is offered Monday through Friday. In 2018, over 6,000 breakfasts were provided by this program.
Two congregate sites are located at Fair Haven. A hot lunch is provided to the clients who attend DayBreak Adult Day Services. The second location is “Maple Leaf Diner.” This site provides a lunch time meal Monday through Friday for seniors over the age of 60 who may be visiting a loved one at Fair Haven and wishes to share a meal with them.
The fourth location is at the Senior Center of Sidney & Shelby County. Meals arrive by 11 a.m. on Monday through Friday (membership to the Senior Center is not required for this lunch site.)
And lastly, we deliver meals to the St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Botkins every Tuesday where lunch is served at approximately noon.
The home delivered meal program and congregate sites (with the exception of Clancy’s), have meals prepared at Fair Haven under the supervision of Executive Chef Rob Schmiesing, CDM, CFPP.
We want to express our appreciation to FISH of Shelby County who so generously donated to our program during 2018 which eliminated a waiting list for our home delivered meals and allowed us to provide meals to additional clients.
For information about home delivered meals, the congregate sites or to donate to support these services, please contact Fair Haven at 937-492-6900 and ask for Nutrition Services.
