Governor Beverly Perdue reported in her Thanksgiving greeting that on Monday she helped deliver the four millionth meal for the Winston-Salem Meals-on-Wheels program of Senior Services, Inc. She noted that after she delivered the meal, the recipient—Ms. Nancy Hooper (83 years of age)—remarked how thankful she was for the volunteers who visit.
In helping Senior Services celebrate this important service milestone, Governor Perdue recognized several significant local contributors. First, she honored Mr. Bill Magness, who lost his wife in a senseless incident more than a year and a half ago, when they walked in on a robbery in progress as they were attempting to deliver a meal. Both the meal recipient and Anne Magness were killed, and Mr. Magness was seriously injured. Today Mr. Magness is back delivering on that same meals route—at the age of 80. Richard Gottlieb, President and CEO of Senior Services, asks that we imagine the “courage, grace and spirit” of Mr. Magness’ service.
Governor Perdue then recognized Vic and Roddy Flow for their leadership in eliminating the waiting list for home-delivered meals in Forsyth County. Thousands are on the wait list for this service statewide but not in Forsyth because of the vision and dedication of such local donors and leaders. Individuals, the faith community, and foundations fund about half of the meals each year, while federal, state, and local governments provide the other half.
Governor Perdue also thanked two of the original volunteers who helped start the Meals-on-Wheels program in Winston-Salem in 1962—Hellen Prichard and Juanita Gordon. Forsyth’s program is the oldest home-delivered meals program in the Southeast and the third oldest in the nation. Currently, more than 1,200 homebound elderly receive assistance through the efforts of more than 1,425 volunteers staffing 66 hot meal routes and 21 frozen meal routes in Forsyth’s Meals-on-Wheels program.
Home-delivered meals can make the difference in allowing seniors unable to obtain or prepare meals for themselves to remain in the community. Under the state’s Home and Community Care Block Grant this past year, nearly 17,300 frail seniors received nearly 2.7 million meals. In the words of a Forsyth meal recipient, “I feel like it helps me to help myself. It helps keep me at home longer and out of a nursing home. It helps my daughter to know I have a meal each day while she has to do her job. It helps me to know there are still people who care enough to do this.”
For more information about home-delivered meals, you can check out the web site of the Division of Aging and Adult Services at http://www.ncdhhs.gov/aging/meals.htm, or contact your Area Agency on Aging, http://www.ncdhhs.gov/aging/aaa.htm.