Taking care of ‘the most vulnerable’

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Willow Road Christian Church volunteers are some of many delivering senior meals. (Staff Photo by BILLY HEFTON)
Willow Road Christian Church volunteers are some of many delivering senior meals. (Staff Photo by BILLY HEFTON)

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March 27, 2010

Local churches step up to provide meals to seniors after state cuts

By Kasey Fowler, Staff Writer Enid News and Eagle The Enid News and Eagle Sat Mar 27, 2010, 10:46 PM CDT

ENID — Local churches continue to work together to try to provide meals for senior citizens in the community.

The collaboration has been ongoing since Wheatheart Nutrition, due to budget cuts from Department of Human Service, had to halt its senior nutrition program on Fridays.

Because of the $230,000 funding cut, Wheatheart also had to furlough employees, close during holidays and close kitchens.

Local churches have been purchasing frozen meals through Food Share America to replace the lost Friday meals since November.

“Currently, all the churches are still working and pulling together to get meals for congregates that don’t get meals on Friday,” said Kathleen Willis, interim project director for Wheatheart Nutrition. “We have been very, very blessed by the communities and churches that have stepped up and helped.”

“We are so thankful for the people and churches that have come through, where our government has not, to take care of the most vulnerable people. These aren’t just numbers, they are the people who raised us and took care of us. They are parents and grandparents. The least we can do is give them a hot meal and place to fellowship. Without the people and churches none of this would be possible.”

Earla Haggard, laywoman at Willow Road Christian Church and local coordinator of Food Share America, said frozen meals were given to 126 seniors in January and 89 seniors in February at six sites: Enid congregate, La Mesa Point and Meadows Point apartments, Helena, Garber and Waukomis.

“We deliver the meals to the Enid congregate sites and to the apartments during one of their meal times. We are trying to make it as easy on them as possible. We have some volunteers that drive the meals out to Waukomis or Garber or Helena,” she said.

So far, churches have been able to fund the Friday meals, but Willis said it probably won’t last forever.

“Everyone is hurting.” Willis said. “Those who have stepped up are hurting, too, because of the economy. It is becoming increasingly difficult.”

Haggard said church funding is dedicated through June, at least.

“We are still doing pretty good. I knew the community would step up. The four initial churches dedicated their funding through June, and other churches have stepped in to help, and funding just keeps coming in. We committed through June, that is when the state fiscal year will change. We don’t know what June will bring,” said Haggard. “We hope ... funding comes back and that everything goes back to the way it was.”

Wheatheart also hopes some funding will be restored shortly, allowing them to provide more services to seniors.

“We are being told we aren’t going to be getting any budget cuts,” Willis said. “We are encouraged by what we are hearing and seeing. We hope to have some funding restored and restore days that we serve meals. There have been a lot of meetings, and a lot of things that have happened.”

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