Food delivery to homebound seniors - is nothing new to Washoe County.
“The county has been offering Meals On Wheels services since 1978, I believe, so more than 30 years,“ says Leslie Williams with Washoe County Senior Services.
But Senior Services says Washoe County is one of the fastest aging communities in the U.S.
“We needed to find an innovative way to reduce our expenditures while at the same time serving more meals,” says Williams.
A recent partnership with Catholic Charities of Northern Nevada will now allow both groups to expand their offerings.
“We've been doing this for about 75 years and this is definitely not new to us as far as food service taking on the road, so to speak, is new for us” says Scott Cooksley, the Division Director of Food Services for Catholic Charities of Northern Nevada.
Widower Harvey Salinger has been receiving meals for the last three years and can’t do without them. “Instead of spending $300 a month at the market, you can use that $300 toward medicine,” he says.
For the sick and elderly unable to leave their homes, the bond they create with the delivery drivers can be a lifesaver. “Every now and again they'll get visits from relatives and neighbors but mostly I'm the only person that they see,” explains one of the many drivers. Routes take them across Reno-Sparks, Gerlach and Incline Village.
Washoe County and Catholic Charities will rely on that special connection to provide even more services to the elderly in our community. Cooksley adds, “We look at the big picture, we look at the long-term benefits and we want to be doing this for a very, very long time.”
Currently, Washoe County serves more than 335,000 meals per year to seniors through the home-delivered Meals on Wheels program. Partnering with Catholic Charities will allow the two groups to serve an additional 70,000 meals.
The Washoe County Board of County Commissioners approved the new partnership at the June 23 meeting.
“At the heart of our decision to partner with Catholic Charities of Northern Nevada is our seniors and how Washoe County can continue meeting the needs of a growing senior population as well as maintain a high level of service our valued seniors have grown accustom to receiving,” said Assistant County Manager Kevin Schiller. “This move will expand important services, allowing us to serve more seniors the nutritious meals they need to help them live a happy and healthy life.”
The transition of the senior nutrition program includes the following services:
Congregate Meal Program: The program provides one meal per day to seniors 60+ and qualified individuals (spouse of a senior, disabled living at a nutrition site, or disabled dependent on a senior). A hot meal or fresh salad is provided Monday through Friday at ten senior meal locations. Monthly menus are available online (May, June) or at each meal site location. With the exception of the Washoe County Senior Center, reservations must be made by 9 a.m. on the desired day.
Home Delivered Meals: Provides delivery of meals to homebound seniors 60+ who are unable to participate in the Washoe County Senior Services Congregate Meal program due to an illness or a disability. Meals provided are in accordance with established dietary guidelines and food safety standards. The suggested voluntary contribution is $2 per meal. Self-addressed stamped envelopes are provided by the meal delivery drivers for contributions to be mailed to Washoe County Senior Services.
For more information, go to https://www.washoecounty.us/seniorsrv/nutrition/index.php
