Meals on Wheels looks to expand to Tea

Sioux Falls’ Active Generations is actively seeking community input about the potential implementation of a Meals on Wheels program within the City of Tea.

A program that feeds over a million seniors nationwide, Meals on Wheels isn’t new to the community. Active Generations did have a program in Tea in the past, but low participation numbers led to the service being discontinued.

Tea resident Connie Seim recalled the food being delivered to Tea Trinity Lutheran Church in the past. Her husband, Ron, volunteered as a food deliverer one day a week over the course of a few years.

“At that time, they were doing about 10 deliveries,” said Seim. “They kept losing people who were interested in the program [until] they were down to about three.”

It was at that point, Seim says, that they began delivering just once a week with a week’s worth of food. Though no longer in service, new requests for the Meals on Wheels program have caused Active Generations to consider reestablishing it in the Sioux Falls suburb.

In Sioux Falls, Active Generations offers in-house and home delivered (Meals on Wheels) meals to homebound persons age 60 and over, their spouse or live in caregiver, and/or dependent adults living with a MOW recipient, a meal for a donation.

“Right now, we would like to seek input from Tea’s home bound [residents] to see if they are interested in receiving Meals on Wheels,” said Priscilla Thornton, the Nutrition Director of Sioux Falls Active Generations. “Also needed are volunteer route drivers to deliver these meals to the home bound clients.”

The home delivered meals would be created by Active Generations’ kitchen and delivered in a hotshot vehicle to a location in Tea, where Meals on Wheels route drivers would then deliver to clients.

“That is basically where we are at now,” said Thornton, who has reached out to all the churches within the community.

Those interested are also encouraged to contact Thornton directly at Active Generations at 605-333-3304.

For those interested in other services provided by Active Generations, it is a non-profit organization dedicated to “promoting positive aging for adults”. They provide members social, physical, educational and outreach programs that enhance both members’ lives and the local community. Active Generations’ state-of-the-art fitness center in Sioux Falls features all the latest equipment and exercise programs needed to promote life-long health. In addition, over 1,000 members volunteer in a variety of ways to assist people throughout the community. Active Generations encourages community members to join as “the proactive way to getting the most out of life”.

Active Generations offers a state-of-the-art fitness center, clubs and activities, nutrition programs and daily meals, educational opportunities, computer classes, an employment resource center, volunteer opportunities, regular events and gatherings, social opportunities, trips and travel and, most importantly, fun.