The A Plate Full of Care Senior Meals Program is back up and running after originally losing funding, giving seniors in the Flowing Wells community a meal and a community to share it with.
Thanks to the work of donors and community support, hot meals will be able to go to dozens of seniors in the Flowing Wells community.
Seniors like Heake Wachal, who felt disconnected from her community when the senior meals program lost funding in June of this year.
I got to meet all the people I really love and share stories and play games, seeing each other on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays," Wachal said. " I was very disappointed when they lost funding. They're like my family."
Wachal says that the need for community is shared by everyone in the senior meals program, and it’s what inspired program organizer Ellie Towne to get it back up and running with donations.
"We have received $33,000 now and we’re still out there for donations because we can cover approximately six months of meals, and we want to keep going," Towne said. "It means a lot, especially to these people, because it gets them out of the house. They get a nice meal from Gap Ministries, and they have a chance to socialize with people."
The program supports seniors 60 years and older who qualify with free lunch, social activities, and community.
"You know, the food is good, the cake is good, and it's exciting just knowing you can go somewhere where you have friends who support," Wachal stated. "That's what makes me happy."
A Plate Full of Care is every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
The program is still looking for more donations, so it can keep feeding seniors through next year.
Donations can be sent to the Flowing Wells Neighborhood Association and Community Coalition.
