Issue of the Month: Senior Meals on Wheels Program

I want to highlight a program that is not a formal Kent County operated program, but one which serves a large portion of our county’s citizens. This is the Senior Meals program, a Kent County based Michigan non-profit organization operating independently from any county General Fund tax funding. I am a Board member of Senior Meals, and actively involved in overseeing its services to seniors in our county. The Senior Meals program in Kent County is primarily funded through contracts with the Area Agency on Aging with funds received from Michigan’s Older Michiganians Act, and the federal government’s Older Americans Act. Senior Meals is also one of the major recipients of Kent County’s Senior Millage. Senior Meals serves over 500,000 meals annually to Kent County clients who are low income with 400,000 of those going to seniors who are living alone in their homes. Our state’s emphasis—and older adults’ desire—to remain living independently in their own homes as long as possible is made possible by the preparation and delivery of nutritious and well planned meals. In addition to the home delivered meals, Senior Meals provides food to 14 congregate meal sites in senior housing complexes and community sponsored Senior Centers. It also has a pantry giving low income seniors the ability to shop twice per month for a wide variety of nutritious foods including diary and fresh produce.