Orange City, Iowa — The new Home-Delivered Meals program in Orange City and Alton is about a month old.
Orange City Area Health System Food Services Manager Sharon VerMeer says the program replaces the Meals on Wheels program.
She says that about the only things that stayed the same were the food, the delivery times and the price. She says while they couldn’t do the program without all of their volunteers, it was becoming harder to do the hot meal program due sometimes to churches not being able to find the volunteers. Plus, Char Ten Clay, Orange City Area Health System Director of Senior Care says that society has changed. She says that nationally, there’s a trend toward fewer deliveries and using frozen meals. She says they realize this is a huge change for their clients, but to make it easier on their volunteers they felt they had to make the change.
VerMeer says there are certainly some positive aspects of the change.
Plus, she says the frozen format gives them a little more flexibility because people can now order as many meals as they want. They can use them as lunch and supper meals, and can order enough meals for a weekend. Plus, if they’re going to be away, the meal can just stay in the freezer for another time.
She says that there are now choices you can make.
VerMeer stresses that the program still uses lots of volunteers, and without them it still would not be possible.
If you or your loved one would like to know more about the Orange City and Alton Home Delivered Meal Program, she says you can call Meals Coordinator Pam DeHaan at 712-737-8954.
