The CRIS Healthy Aging Center in Danville is temporarily changing the way it delivers meals to about 430 senior citizens.
CRIS Director Amy Brown says for the next 30 days instead if using volunteers for the deliveries the agency will use a program called Moms Meals. ”With the shelter in place going on, we’ve been trying to figure out a way to keep the interaction as low as possible to keep both our volunteers and clients safe,” Brown told VermilionCountyFirst.com News.
Brown says using Moms Meals will cost more but will help keep everyone safe during the height of the coronavirus threat. She says Moms Meals will decide how the meals will be delivered, but that two shipments will be going out. One of them should be going out soon and another will be shipped in a couple of weeks. Each will contain 14 meals ready to be placed in refrigerators.
The Meals on Wheels program has allowed the volunteers to have contact with the senior citizens to make sure they are alright as they deliverd the meals. And one of the volunteers expressed concern to our News Department about how the change would eliminate those contacts. But Brown says her office has stepped up wellness calls to older adults. She says they are checking on not only the status of their health but how they are mentally dealing with the coronavirus pandemic.
Brown says the East Central Illinois Area Agency on Aging and Illinois Department of Aging had asked agencies to think of ways to keep volunteers and seniors safe. And Brown adds CRIS is increasing the number of meals per week from five to seven to reduce the need of seniors to go to the grocery store. ”We’re trying to eliminate any trips to the grocery store,” she added.
And Brown noted that after 30 days they will be resuming the normal Meals on Wheels program. She says the CRIS budget will not allow the agency to continue the Moms Meals program. ”It’s a very nice program,” added Brown.
[***NOTE: The photo is from a recent meals distribution at the CRIS Center in Danville in which volunteers delivered the food.]
