Home-delivered meals mean a lot to volunteers, seniors alike

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A Wood County Production
Kitchen employee packs up coolers full of meals for individual driving routes (Photos by Geoff
Burns)

Julie Rose loaded the trunk of her car with 14 hot meals and started the engine. She pulled out of the
parking lot and headed to her first destination.
"I’m going to be their age someday and I hope (this service) is there for me when I need it,"
Rose said. "It makes you appreciate what you have and what you don’t have."
The Bowling Green resident is driving a route during her own lunch break, something she embarks on each
week to voluntarily deliver hot meals to the elderly of Wood County 60 years and older. Deliveries are
made directly to their homes.
Her route is one of four trails that navigate throughout Wood County, serving as a volunteer service for
delivering hot meals to 14 of the 70 local residents hosted by the Wood County Committee On Aging
(WCCOA).
Rose averages approximately 100 miles each month driving to every destination on her route, and pays for
her own gas in doing so.
"It’s not an issue or a big commitment," Rose said. "It’s worth it to me."
Although Rose provides her own funds for her gasoline, the service does not primarily rely on funding
from the volunteers only. Rather 74 percent of the funding comes from Wood County property tax in the
form of the senior citizens levy, 12 percent from the federal and state governments, five percent from
Passport and nine percent from fees, donations and interest.

Volunteer Julie Rose of
BG takes meals to her car as she makes a delivery to a local senior.

WCCOA Director of Food Service Angie Bradford said the service relies heavily on the county levy for its
funding and if the next levy in 2015 doesn’t pass, the service may no longer exist. The service is
important because it’s not only providing a hot meal to someone, but a daily check as well, she said.

"We’ve found clients deceased, we’ve found clients on the floor that need medical assistance,"
Bradford said. "If the person doesn’t answer their door" and that occurs "more than three
times a month, then we should check their status and take them off meals and try to get them into the
senior centers."
Although all senior citizens receiving the meals were asked to keep their names anonymous, one client
said the service is much needed.
"I really appreciate it," the senior citizen said. "It’s always easy and it does
help."
After the 25-mile round trip, Rose unloaded her car of the empty meal carriers because her lunch break
was just about over from her real job.
"It makes you feel good inside that you’ve done something nice for somebody," she said.
"These are great people and that’s why I enjoy delivering on this route."

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