Page 12 - Amarillo Senior Link Magazine Summer 2019- Online Magazine

HONORING SENIORS

Building the Future of by Susie Akers

Meals on Wheels in Amarillo

eals on Wheels
of Amarillo has
Mbeen in a Capital
Campaign, raising money Many have
to build a new administrative office, for beloved pets
the last year and a half. We are excited they don’t want
to announce that we have reached our to leave behind
goal and broke ground in May. to move into
costly nursing
Our new offices will be in the medical facilities, which
district, near both BSA and Northwest they often can’t
Texas hospitals, where our meals are afford. Meals
produced. Being located closer to on Wheels
the hospitals will be so much more extends the time a person can live
convenient, safer for staff, more independently by shouldering some of
appealing to clients and families, as the burden of caring for oneself.
well as provide better visibility for
recruiting volunteers, enabling us to This organization has never accepted
continue to meet the needs of an aging money from a federal or state
population as we serve more seniors. government agency, and we have never
been a United Way agency. We depend
MOW of Amarillo was organized in on the generosity of our community to
1971 by twelve local churches and 25 help us continue
volunteers, serving 14 elderly people. to provide these
Nearly five decades later, our program beneficial services
feeds hot, nutritious meals to over 245 that so many
homebound seniors, with the support seniors rely upon.
of over 300 volunteers and 26 routes
located across Amarillo. MOW of Amarillo
has been taking
Often, our friendly, caring volunteer care of our
drivers are the only people our clients most vulnerable
see each weekday. Delivering a hot, citizens for 48
nutritious meal is vital to helping years, and we
seniors maintain their health. Providing are planning, We deliver more than a meal.
a critical safety check and helping preparing, and
combat depression and loneliness are positioning
priceless services MOW provides as ourselves to
well, five days a week. become an even
more valuable
We have seen tremendous growth community
in our program in the last couple of resource for
years. As baby boomers retire in record Amarillo’s
numbers, and many people from rural homebound
counties move to Amarillo to be closer seniors. We invite
to our wonderful medical facilities, we everyone to join
see an even greater need for MOW. us in celebrating
the next chapter
Almost all seniors prefer to remain in in our history.
their own homes for as long as possible. 219 W. 7th Ave.
Amarillo, TX 79101
(806) 374-1521
www.AmarilloMealsOnWheels.org

12 Amarillo Senior Link