Friday, April 27, 2007
A person does not have to be low-income to qualify for the meals.
WARREN -- The Trumbull County Office of Elderly Affairs is making plans to double the number of home-delivered meals it provides to county senior citizens starting May 7.
Now it needs to hear from those who qualify for the meals to add them to the expanding delivery routes.
Karen L. Saker, nutrition project director for the agency, said eight delivery drivers are likely to be hired next week.
The agency currently provides about 325 to 350 meals per day and will have the funding to expand that number to around 750. The money comes from the contract approved by county commissioners last month worth 609,525. The money came from the senior citizens levy approved by voters in November 2005.
The following are the eligibility criteria:
A person must be a county resident age 60 or older or the spouse of someone age 60 or older.
Delivery will be made if a person is homebound. If a person drives or gets out with others on a regular basis, they would not normally be considered to be homebound.
A person must be unable to cook for themselves and not living with family or others who can cook for them.
One meal per day
The agency provides one well-balanced meal per day, five days a week Monday through Friday except legal holidays.
A donation of 1.25 per meal is suggested, but the agency will accept whatever a client can afford to pay, Saker said. The program is not just for low-income people, Saker added.
She said the program provides other advantages besides the meals. A delivery person provides daily human contact with homebound seniors and can report problems or life-threatening changes to the agency if such problems are observed, she said.
Qualifying people who are not homebound are encouraged to attend one of the 10 nutrition sites located in Warren (two), Niles, Girard, Hubbard, West Farmington, Kinsman, Cortland, Newton Falls and Lordstown to receive a meal, she said.
For more information or to apply for home-delivered meals, call the Office of Elderly Affairs at (330) 675-2486.