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Greenwood Senior Center Needing Vans For Meals On Wheels Program

GREENWOOD (KFSM) – The Senior Activity Center in Greenwood needs a new vehicle so they can continue delivering lunch and dinner through their Meals on Wheels pr...
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GREENWOOD (KFSM) – The Senior Activity Center in Greenwood needs a new vehicle so they can continue delivering lunch and dinner through their Meals on Wheels program.

There are more than 80 seniors in the area who rely on the program to deliver them hot meals. However, the program is in jeopardy after one of the program’s van’s recently quit working.

Volunteers drive vans to the seniors’ homes Monday through Friday to deliver meals throughout the area from Booneville all the way to Hackett.

“This center covers such a wide area, and in order to get those meals to those homes at the proper temperature, proper time by the regulations it is necessary that we have two operating vans, because we have two van drivers,” said Deanna Rice, executive director at Sebastian Retired Citizens Association.

The center in Greenwood had three vans until one of them completely quit working. The other two vehicles are operating, but are down to their last leg.

Program volunteers started taking their personal vehicles to lend a hand with the program to make sure the elderly get their meal.

“It makes it a hardship when we don’t have the vans,” said Freda Lewis who lives in Greenwood. “The vans are reliable to deliver the meals, so sometime it makes them later if they have to shuttle between vehicles.”

The vans are not only used to transport meals, but to also pick up the elderly if they need a ride to go to the doctor, shopping or run errands.

The Greenwood senior center isn’t alone in their transportation needs. Fort Smith, Barling, Lavaca, Mansfield and Hartford also need help transporting warm meals to seniors.

“We have nine senior care centers in Sebastian County and honestly each senior center is in need of a new vehicle so we can be more productive,” said Rice.

The senior centers rely on state and federal grants as well as donations from the community through United Way.

The Greenwood Senior Center is looking for any vehicle as long as it runs and doesn’t require much maintenance.

“This would mean that more your seniors in your community are being taken care of properly because they depend on that meal.”

Anyone who would like to help the senior care center can call (479) 996 – 6581.

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