Through the coronavirus outbreak, the Memorial Meals program is experiencing a 10% increase in clients who are being served the home-delivered meals.
According to a release from Memorial Health, several new clients have been added as a result of the closing of Community Meals service at the Richwood, Plain City, and Windsor & Community Senior sites.Meals are also being delivered to those choosing to enroll in the program or clients served previously, prior to the pandemic.
For nearly 40 years, the Memorial Meals Program has been delivering hot, nutritious meals to seniors in the area, reinforced with a check-in by volunteers on each homebound senior to ensure they are doing well. The COVID-19 pandemic has increased the local necessity for the meal services.
In total, more than 210 clients are now being delivered lunches during weekdays, with another 45 meals being packaged for individual pick-ups by Windsor & Community Senior residents. Social distancing is being observed for all pick-up activities.
Making the daily runs to senior homes throughout Union County is a combination of Memorial Meals volunteers who are not at a high-risk of infection, blended with Memorial Health staff members who have been reassigned to assist with other roles throughout the system. New Memorial Meals clients who meet all program criteria are able to be added to the program and staffing will continue to be adjusted as necessary.
Memorial plans to relaunch the Community Meals program when all restrictions have been lifted and it is safe for clients to gather again. For the latest updates on COVID-19 and Memorial Health, visit memorialohio.com.