By Chelsea Belanger
Staff Writer
Brandon Twp.-Melvin Dowdy had a couple of lunch visitors on Monday morning.
‘The meals are pretty good for the most part,? said Dowdy, 88, who receives Meals on Wheels for seniors five days per week from Edna Burton Senior Center volunteers.
‘It’s good that they come here,? he said. ‘They come over during the week and visit and the meals are not too bad, either.?
Dowdy is just one of about a dozen seniors locally that utilize a program from the Older Persons Commission dedicated to assisting seniors in the area, who emphasize no senior citizen should go hungry.
Like other seniors in the area, Dowdy gets help from his family, but during the daytime needs someone to look in on him.
‘Meals on Wheels? is one of many OPC programs and it ensures that a lunchtime meal is delivered to any needy homebound senior.
Laure Unkart, the department head of volunteer and senior resources, has been with OPC for seven years and is happy with ‘Meals on Wheels? progress.
‘We make sure if they need a meal, they get a meal,? Unkart said.
In 2008, 114,876 meals were served by OPC. Each meal costs $5 and there’s a suggested, but not required, donation of $3.50 for seniors.
In addition to the meal, an assessor goes out to the house to decide if there are any additional resources the homebound seniors need that OPC could assist with, such as heating.
The meals come from the Rochester Older Persons Commission and are then brought to the Edna Burton Senior Center.
Township resident Francis Wills has helped with the Meals on Wheels program for the past three years
‘We deliver around 10 meals a day,? Wills said.
‘We really enjoy doing it. It’s a rewarding feeling because the people love having us stop by to even just say hi.?
If any senior is interested in Meals on Wheels, contact the Edna Burton Senior Center at 248-627-6678.