The Senior Services Foundation was formed in 1996 to help raise funds for Meals on Wheels programs in Linn, Benton and Lincoln counties, which were struggling to meet the demand of seniors who needed a hot, nutritious meal delivered to their home or served at a meal site. The Meals on Wheels provides a reliable, hot nutritious meal delivered by volunteers to a home bound senior’s door, which also links home-bound seniors to their community. The Meals on Wheels volunteer drivers while delivering meals will also provide short friendly visits and safety checks on the meal recipients, this keeps seniors healthy, safe, and living independently in their own homes.
Seniors who are able to leave their homes may visit any of the 11 community Meal Sites in the three-county area for noontime meal. In addition to dining with others, many seniors who visit the meal sites have the opportunity to participate in classes, games, and other activities which contribute greatly to the seniors’ feeling of wellbeing.
Annual distributions from the endowment will provide steady income to support the Meals on Wheels program which will include paying for hot packaged meals to be delivered to home bound seniors, food served at meal sites, and purchasing “Blizzard Boxes” which are shelf stable meals that are delivered in anticipation of inclement weather.