Senior Nutrition Program: Connecting Food and Socializing

 

The Senior Nutrition Program provides seniors with nutritious meals as well as the opportunity to be active and build new friendships. Meals and a variety of services are provided at local Senior Centers in a social setting. In some areas, a home-delivered meal program, such as United Way Meals on Wheels, is available for homebound seniors who qualify. Meals are free of charge for both homebound seniors and those who attend a Senior Center. Our commitment to the provision of hot, nutritious meals is based not only on fulfilling the dietary needs of seniors, but also on creating active engagement and healthy social interaction in a supportive and caring environment.

Spouses of individuals age 60 or older – as well as persons with a disability, who are not yet 60 but reside with an eligible senior – may also receive meals through the program. Many seniors across Jefferson County attend one of our 28 Senior Centers, where they not only eat a free lunch, but interact with friends and access resources such as transportation, health and wellness information, fun activities, volunteer opportunities, arts and humanities and free education.

Seniors who are homebound, isolated and do not have access to public or private transportation may be eligible for home-delivered meals or, depending on location, meals delivered through United Way of Central Alabama’s more widely known program called Meals on Wheels.

The Meals on Wheels program offers two types of home-delivered meals: hot meals delivered daily, Monday through Friday, and frozen meals delivered once weekly. Most meals are served daily by volunteers in Jefferson County. Frozen meals are generally provided in areas where we cannot offer daily delivery or in other extreme circumstances as determined by our case managers. Seniors who would like to participate in congregate meals at Senior Centers may call or visit the Senior Center nearest them (click here for a list of area Senior Centers). Once an initial enrollment form is completed, seniors will review and renew their information and enrollment with the Senior Center once a year. Meals at Senior Centers and home-delivered meals/Meals on Wheels are completely free of charge to eligible seniors.

For more information on accessing the Senior Nutrition Program, call 1-800-AGE-LINE (1-800-243-5463) or Meals on Wheels at 205-592-0413.

 

Volunteers Are Our Driving Force

The Senior Nutrition Program is, in large part, made possible by the many volunteers who generously donate their time to prepare, serve and deliver meals to Senior Centers and to homebound seniors themselves. Those who drive specifically for Meals on Wheels usually commit to a minimum of one day of service each week, taking about one and a half hours to complete their deliveries and visit briefly with each of their grateful recipients. Volunteers use their own vehicles and select a delivery route and frequency that best fits their schedules.

For more information on volunteer opportunities with the Senior Nutrition Program, call 1-800-AGE-LINE (1-800-243-5463) or Meals on Wheels at 205-592-0413.