Care Meal Deliveries – How the idea became a reality and how we can help
A pilot project began at the beginning of Covid19, when it was realized there were Seniors who greatly missed the interaction they regularly had when attending church services, they missed sitting down with their friends and socializing over a shared meal. How could we help fill that void?
Through many dedicated Volunteers, who graciously and willingly dedicated their time, we started assembling Congregational Care Packages once a month. That included delivering a meal, usually soup, or a casserole, and dessert, along with some tea, treats and reading material. At the end of the year, we realized this was a very valuable program. Many thanks and positive feedback were received. Additional requests came in from others in the community who expressed their need for short term assistance with food. We began calling these Care Meals, and at times, these served 60 – 65 people.
We were fortunate to receive grants from the government through the New Horizons for Seniors Program and the United Church (both the national church and Chinook Winds Region) to financially assist us in continuing to provide this program. We are currently in the process of applying for further grants, but we have lost some of those people who were receiving care meals. Some have passed away or some have moved, many to Assistive Living facilities that now provide their meals.
The Care Meal program could be of benefit to many others and it’s one that RDLUC would like to continue. For those of you who may not have known about the program, it is available for anyone in need within the immediate and surrounding communities. We encourage you, your family members, neighbors, or anyone else you may know of who needs assistance, to reach out to us.
If you would like to arrange Care Meals or have further inquiries, please contact us by email at ccare@reddeerlakeuc.com