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Meals on Wheels Program Receives New Truck
Washington-Morgan Community Action's Meals on Wheels program received a new truck in October 2015 to replace the oldest of the program's trucks which was purchased in 2002 and was no longer drivable.
The "Hot Shot" truck was purchased with the help of donations from The Bernard McDonough Foundation, the Marietta Community Foundation, American Electric Power, and the People's Bank Foundation.
The trucks each contain built-in ovens and refrigerators that maintain safe temperatures.
The Meals on Wheels program owns four trucks in total, and has delivered over 200,000 meals to seniors in Washington and Morgan counties in the past four years. The program serves home-bound seniors over the age of 60, allowing them to remain healthy and independent.
For Shirley Wanzo of Marietta, the Meals on Wheels program allows her and her husband to remain living in their home. "It means everything to us… having a meal brought in, not having to stand on my legs, just having a hot meal prepared, and knowing that you're always faithful, and always here," she said.
Meals on Wheels also helps seniors like Theron McLaughlin, whose health would suffer without the daily meals provided by the program. "The program means a lot to me," he said. "If we didn't have a program, I wouldn't eat."
In addition to hot meals, the Meals on Wheels program also provides seniors with companionship through daily interactions with the drivers and ensures that there will be someone to check on them regularly.
This companionship means as much to Robin Nolan as the food. Nolan, of Marietta, enjoys her daily visit from her driver, Rachel Hayton. "Rachel's my buddy," she said. "Sometimes she's the only person I talk to all day long. It's more than the food, it's also the communication."
The program also aids the caregivers of seniors such as Michelle Torpe, of Marietta, who cares for her mother Joyce Torpe. "Her hot meal, it's very nutritious, and it's helpful to me as her daughter that she's getting the proper nutrition," she said.
The Senior Nutrition program also offers meals at congregate dining sites located in Marietta, Beverly, New Matamoras and Layman. The program is funded by Area Aging through the Older Americans Act, the Washington County Commissioners senior service levy, the United Way of Washington County, and the United Way Mid-Ohio Valley Alliance.
For more information about the Senior Nutrition Program call Washington-Morgan Community Action at (740) 373-3745 or www.wmcap.org.
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