Spring Valley Rotary Club awards grant to Meals on Wheels program

Senior Resources received a $1,885 grant from the Spring Valley Rotary Club to support the Meals on Wheels program. The funding will be used to provide daily delivery of a hot, nutritionally balanced meal to a homebound senior for a full year.

The grant is one of 41 donations made by the club to Midlands non-profit agencies, totaling $41,000 in financial support. The group also funded $9,000 in student scholarships this year. The grants and scholarships were made possible by the group’s annual pecan sale during the 2015 holiday season.

“Our club is proud of our partnership with Senior Resources and happy to support the work they do to ensure that seniors get the support they need, including those served by the Meals on Wheels program,” said Bill Oliver, President of the Spring Valley Rotary Club. “We’ve delivered meals every Thursday for many years and it’s a service activity that our members truly enjoy.”

According to the National Foundation to End Senior Hunger (NFESH), South Carolina ranks eighth-worst in the nation for food instability among senior citizens. The Meals on Wheels program delivers a hot meal that provides one-third of the daily nutritional requirements for the homebound seniors. Senior Resources is the only provider of Meals on Wheels in Richland County.

“Eighteen percent of the seniors in our community suffer from food instability, meaning they are not able to afford and access food on a consistent basis,” said Senior Resources Executive Director Pam Dukes. “This grant from the Spring Valley Rotary Club will help us deliver a daily hot meal and the peace of mind that goes with it.”

About Senior Resources, Inc.

Senior Resources is a non-profit organization that coordinates services, provides resources and encourages the personal choices that allow Columbia’s senior citizens to remain independent. All activities, services and programs of the agency are geared toward promoting independent living, with the goal of helping seniors remain in their homes as long as possible through the support of staff and volunteers, and delaying or preventing institutionalization.

Since 1967, Senior Resources has served Columbia’s frail and elderly residents in three areas:

1) In-home services, including Meals on Wheels, home care, respite care, senior companion services, and case management;

2) Community-based services, including congregate meals, wellness centers, transportation, and physical fitness;

3) Volunteer services, including the Senior Companion program, Foster Grandparent program, and the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program.

With local, state and federal government funding, as well as contributions from United Way, personal donations and fundraising activities, Senior Resources offers a variety of programs so that our clients can select the assistance they need to maintain a healthy and independent lifestyle.