Don’t let Meals on Wheels fall off track
Every once in a while you truly have to answer a call for help.
The Osceola County Council on Aging, which tirelessly helps the senior citizen and the disabled in the community, is struggling with delivering goods to the needy through its Meals on Wheels program.
Routes are being run more by agency employees and are being left without drivers. It desperately needs volunteer help and we like to think that some Osceola County residents that have the time can step up.
These people, who often live alone, are somebodys mother or grandfather. For whatever reason they are not able to leave the home because of medical conditions. Could the delivery program get so thin that some might have to wait all day for meals when they are hungry or not get a scheduled meal at all on a certain day? Quite possibly.
Currently, the program feeds about 200 seniors across Osceola County, and is getting more calls every day. We understand that gas is not cheap. But the entire delivery only takes two hours. And because of the cost of gas, the Council on Aging has made the routes shorter in Kissimmee, Poinciana and St. Cloud.
To think of a frail senior citizen sitting there, waiting for a meal that they think might not come troubles us. Florida is one of the top 10 states in terms of senior hunger, with 16.6 percent of seniors at risk, according to the National Foundation to End Senior Hunger.
And many of the programs elderly clients are on medications that need to be taken with meals throughout the day.
We give kudos to companies like KUA, who adopted a route in Kissimmee and sends employees once a day during the programs five-day schedule during the week. Other businesses should follow KUAs generosity.
We like to think volunteering in the program would not only help brighten a clients day but also could enrich the life of the volunteer.
Now, grab your keys and lets help out our seniors, Osceola.
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Don’t let Meals on Wheels fall off track