The Council on Aging is a local not for profit organization that provides mobile meals and handicapped van transportation for elderly people in Kosciusko County. The obvious purpose of both programs is to provide services that will allow the elderly remain in their homes.
Our rule is that when the local schools close we cancel our operations also. Fortunately, because of funding from United Way of Kosciusko County we have been able to provide "Emergency Frozen Meals" for the past several years to be used by clients when weather prohibits delivery of the regular daily hot meal.
With all the recent bad weather we could not keep up with the demand for the Emergency Meals which are usually delivered ahead of bad weather by our many community volunteers.
So, this is a story of how some Kosciusko Community Senior Services employees stepped in and delivered Emergency Meals to the clients.
Friday, Jan. 16, Carol Kreis our Mobile Meal coordinator, Rita Savage our transportation supervisor - and Fred Savage her husband. Rick Williamson one of our van drivers, and Wayne Berkey another van driver took it upon themselves to figure out a way to deliver the much needed emergency meals. Needless to say it took hours to figure out the most efficient and effective way to deliver the meals.
In some cases the drivers actually helped the client further by putting the meal in the microwave for them. Some support people the client had been waiting on to help them with a meal had not yet shown up and they were hungry.
These people are hard working and committed people who care deeply, as are all of our many community volunteers. With a little luck we will get older. Let's pray that heroes like these folks mentioned here are still around.
Last yeat we provided over 27,000 hot noon meals, and over 8,000 emergency meals. This year the numbers are significantly higher.
Thanks to all.
R.J. (Jake) Handel, President
Kosciusko Community Senior Services Board of Directors
