Delivering more than just a meal

Nutrition & Services for Seniors is a nonprofit agency dedicated to providing innovative, effective programs that assist older adults in leading quality lives while maintaining dignity and independence. In 1983, a group of civic-minded residents, concerned for the well-being of seniors in our community, set upon a path to expand services to local seniors and disabled adults. By providing home delivered meals, transportation, nutrition education and information and referrals, they can give seniors the opportunity to remain independent in their own homes in both Jefferson and Hardin Counties.

Scheduled for Thursday, May 2, Nutrition and Services for Seniors will host the 13th annual Deliver the Difference Luncheon at the downtown Beaumont Event Centre at 11:30 a.m.

The sold out luncheon will also honor Cindy and Michael Lindsay and honorary chairs Laurie and John Mathews.

“These two couples have done so much, not only for the community, but especially with our agency through donations and gifts of their time,” said Janci Kimball, CEO of N&SS. “They truly believe in the mission of what we do. I don’t know where our community would be without these two couples and that’s one thing that I love about our luncheon is getting to know the community members that are out there moving and shaking, large or small – they are making a difference.”

The event is the biggest fundraiser of the year for the nonprofit’s Meals on Wheels Program. It also helps supporters learn about their different programs as well as educate those in attendance about volunteering. “This fundraiser does several things,” said Kimball. “It helps us support our meal program financially and all the services we provide such as transportation and ‘AniMeals,’ which offers pet food at no charge for the pets of the seniors who may have to share their food with their pet.”

According to Kimball, N&SS serves anywhere between 1,600-1,700 meals per day, mostly through volunteer drivers.

“Yes, we do receive federal and state funds, but we’re never reimbursed for the full cost of our meals, so we start out every day with a deficit and at the end of the year the deficit becomes several hundreds of thousands,” said Kimball. “This is why we do these fundraisers. We also have mail outs that talk about our services and the needs.”

There are no restrictions for the Meals on Wheels program, such as Medicaid or income.

“If you need our services, we will service you,” said Kimball. “We cannot forget our seniors. These are former teachers, pastors, mentors, doctors, and nurses who have paved the way for us to be where we are right now and for them to be homebound and forgotten is not acceptable. They’re not going to go hungry and go without, not on our watch. It’s unacceptable.”

Though the heart of Nutrition & Services for Seniors lies with not only much-needed funds, but with its volunteers.

“We badly need volunteers,” said Kimball. “Volunteer meal delivery does not take long at all,” she said. “We encourage companies and even Sunday school groups to help. A lot of our elders are lonely, and our meal is probably the only one that they get all day and the only daily human interaction is with our delivery driver. It’s vital that we get out there and make these people remain connected to society.

“Surprisingly, the bottom line of our mission is not to feed people, but that that we create innovative and effective programming that help our seniors help reduce isolation. We want to keep them in their home and independent for a long as we possibly can, so the goal is to keep them out of care with a healthy meal and to have contact with someone seeing them every single day. They may not have family who live around here, but we’re here.”

For more information about the luncheon or volunteering, view seniormeals.org or call (409) 892-4455.

“It’s our battle cry and we will continue to remind people,” she said. “The reality is this problem is never going away – we will always need funds and always need volunteers. Community means everything to us. Our story will never have an ending, but we are here for the seniors and they will never be forgotten.”