THOUGHT FOR FOOD
Meal options for seniors available, but efforts aren’ t always coordinated
STORY BY JEFF WILFORD Staff Writer
Wapello County is the second-most food insecure county in Iowa, with more than 5,300 people( 15.2 % of its population) facing food insecurity, according to the Food Bank of Iowa.
Appanoose County is No. 1, with 16.9 % of its
population( 2,070 people) food insecure. Mahaska County, though not ranked in the top 10, has a food insecurity rating of 12.7 %, or 1,200 people.
Food insecurity is real, and seniors are some of the most adversely affected. A number of organizations deploy different tools— like food pantries, communal meals and meal deliveries— to help alleviate the problem.
Homestead Assisted Living and Memory Care of Oskaloosa, has been preparing and delivering warm meals to seniors who want it for longer than Executive Director Candice Fuller can remember.
“ I feel like we’ re been doing it for so long. But the person who started it here has retired,” Fuller said.
But Milestones Area Agency on Aging isn’ t always aware of local organizations’ efforts, like Homestead’ s meal deliveries. Fuller said she doesn’ t know about anybody else delivering warm meals in Oskaloosa, not since White Oak Estates, an assisted living facility, shuttered last month.
Fuller said she always thought Homestead did a good job spreading the word about its meal home deliveries, mostly through word-of-mouth.
“ I’ m finding out throughout the years, there’ s a lot of people that don’ t know that we still do them,” Fuller said.
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