Rising food costs and statewide funding cuts have forced Senior Monongalians, Inc. to make some necessary changes to their home delivered meal (HDM) program.
“We’re doing this because of budgetary cuts at the federal and state level and we tried to come up with different options,” said Executive Director Lisa Martin. “We definitely don’t want to cut anyone from the program – I don’t want to see any senior go hungry.”
Starting this week, the free service will deliver hot meals on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday and will provide a frozen meal on Tuesday and Thursday to be used Wednesday and Friday.
“A lot of senior centers are going this way with the rising cost of food and gasoline for delivery,” Martin said. “We are trying to save as much money as we can so we can help as many people as we can.”
Weekend meal options will no longer be available, but Martin said “not a lot of senior centers are doing weekend meals.”
Frozen meals will still be provided for holidays.
Previously the HDM program delivered hot meals Tuesday through Friday, Martin said. Some seniors would also receive frozen meals for the weekend and everyone received a frozen meal for Monday.
There is a cap for the number of meals the HDM program can provide, but Martin said they try their best to not have a waitlist for the program.
“We try to help as many people as we can and we try not to have any waitlist. If we can’t help them we will suggest they contact somewhere like Meals on Wheels and maybe they can get food that way.”
To be eligible for HDM, recipients must be 60 years of age or older and must be either homebound or living alone, and physically or mentally unable to obtain food and/or prepare meals.
Because the service is free, the nonprofit relies on community donations for part of the funding for the program. The average cost to prepare one meal, including meal preparation, packaging, transportation, and wages, is over $8.
To donate or volunteer at Senior Monongalians, which is located in Mountaineer Mall on Greenbag Road, visit their website seniormons.org or call 304-296-9812.
