2016 marks the 20th year of serving the community with hot lunchtime meals for Nutrition Services of Shelby County. In 2015 we provided over 38,000 meals to senior citizens in their homes and at our congregate sites.
Fair Haven Shelby County Home Administrator Director Anita Miller has submitted the following report:
The Home Delivered Meal Program has three routes that provide a hot meal Monday through Friday to all of Shelby County. Last year we logged 40,000 miles. This program enables senior citizens to remain independent and living in their own homes. Our program is much more than just a hot meal. Our drivers are a “friendly face” and many times are the only contact with the outside world each day. They also provide a daily check on the clients’ well-being. We have been the ones that alert families of problems such as increased confusion or a decline in their loved one’s health. We have called 911 to dispatch EMT’s for critical issues.
If you are looking for a useful gift for a homebound senior (ages 60 and up) please contact us. We can provide short-term or long-term meals. Consider contacting us, if you are a homebound senior and are finding it hard to provide for your nutritional needs. For short term use, this is a valuable service when returning home from a surgery or therapy. It can simplify the transition back to independent living.
Nutrition Services also has three Congregate Meal sites. The main site is at the Senior Center of Sidney & Shelby County. Anyone over the age of 60 can join us for lunch on Monday through Friday, starting at 11 a.m. You do not need to be a member of the Senior Citizens Center to visit the meal site. Our second site is located at the St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Botkins. Lunch is served on Tuesdays at approximately noon. Our third congregate site is at the Houston Congregational Christian Church. (This program is currently on hold.) For further information on any of these sites, or information on how to set up one of these sites in your own area, call Fair Haven 937-492-6900 and ask for the Nutrition Services oordinator.
During 2015, Darlene Prater was promoted from within Fair Haven as the new Nutrition Services Coordinator and looks forward to serving the seniors of Shelby County. Darlene has many years of experience with the Nutrition program and began her employment with Nutrition Services in April 2007 as a home deliver meal driver. She continued as a driver for 6 years and then accepted a full time position with Fair Haven in 2013. When the coordinator position became available this year, she was ready to return to the clients and a familiar department. Darlene is the warm and friendly voice of Nutrition Services and is a proven asset to the program.
