By Susan Thompson | Times Vedette
It has been several years since congregate meals for senior citizens were available in Panora. The program was managed by volunteers with meals prepared in the Panora Community Center kitchen and served in the dining room. Meals were delivered to those who couldn’t come to the community building.
As long-time volunteers stepped away for a variety of reasons, participation in the program declined, which led to onsite meals coming to an end. For a time, volunteers from a congregate meal site in Stuart delivered to a few Panora residents, but, eventually, that ended, too.
Last summer, members of the Panora United Methodist Church decided to research options for reviving meal deliveries in Panora.
“We felt there was a real need for the Meals on Wheels program for our older population who might have mobility issues or lack transportation,” Sue Merryman says.
A congregate meals program has been available in Guthrie Center for many years. Kim Betts, food and nutrition services manager at the Guthrie County Hospital, has been coordinating the program for 16 years.
Sue and her husband, Jay Merryman, worked with Betts to once again make home-delivered meals available in Panora. They recruited Panora organizations and volunteers and developed a weekly delivery schedule. They also spread the word to seniors who might be interested in weekday meals and got a dozen homes signed up. Meal deliveries began last July.
Meals are prepared and served Monday through Friday at Sneakers Café in the Guthrie County Hospital.
“We serve an average of 10 to 15 people daily at the meal site, with most of those from Guthrie Center and a few from Panora,” Betts says. “Meals delivered to Guthrie Center residents currently averages 24, with an average of 12 meals delivered in Panora.”
Congregate meals and home-delivered meals are funded by donations and by the Elderbridge Agency on Aging. Elderbridge covers 29 Iowa counties including Guthrie County.
The home-delivery service isn’t technically called Meals on Wheels, but that is the name most people recognize. The meals site in Guthrie Center only delivers within the city limits of Guthrie Center and Panora. There also is a meal site in Stuart that provides home delivery.
“To be eligible for meals, the individual must be 60 years of age or older,” Betts says. “To have a meal delivered, the individual also must have a reason why it is too difficult to come to the meal site. There is a registration form that needs to be filled out when someone starts and then needs to be completed annually.”
Betts says the Guthrie Center meals site uses a four-week rotational menu with a goal of providing a third of the daily nutritional needs for older adults.
“We try to have a meat, starch, vegetable and a fruit daily,” she says. “Some days, we have dessert. For example, one day we might have meatloaf, red mashed potatoes, green beans, grapes and chocolate cake. Another day might be goulash, buttered corn, mixed fruit and a dinner roll. It’s hard to please everyone. I try to have a variety of foods that the majority like.”
Betts coordinates the volunteers who make meal deliveries in Guthrie Center.
“Without volunteers, there would be no program. It would be very difficult for the hospital to do that on a regular basis. Hospital employees do deliver meals sometimes, when it works in their schedules. I have a short list of people I can call on to deliver if volunteers are unavailable or forget. If I cannot find anyone to deliver on short notice, it’s usually a cook or me delivering the meals in Guthrie Center,” she says.
Several organizations take turns scheduling volunteers in Guthrie Center. These are the Christian Church, Catholic Church, Methodist Church, Lutheran Church, Presbyterian Church, Royal Neighbors, Lions Club, Leo’s Club, Guthrie County Hospital and The New Homestead. If someone would like to volunteer, they can do so through one of these organizations or contact Betts at 641-332-3818 or kbetts@gcho.org.
To find volunteers to deliver meals in Panora, the Merrymans contacted Panora churches and other organizations that would then recruit and organize daily delivery volunteers.
“We would like to have 10 different organizations involved, which would mean each group would deliver five days in a row every 10 weeks,” Sue Merryman says. “Organizations currently involved are P.E.O., Panorama West Men’s Tuesday Golf group, Panora Methodist United Church, St. Cecilia Catholic Church, St. Thomas Lutheran Church, First Christian Church, and friends and neighbors of these groups.”
Organizations or individuals interested in helping with the Meals on Wheels program in Panora are asked to text or call Jay Merryman at 641-751-5957 or Sue Merryman, 641-751-5956.
Volunteers can get a free meal at Sneakers on days they deliver.
Meals are picked up around 11:15 a.m. at Sneakers Café. Volunteers are given two bags with food; one has hot food and the other has cold items. They also receive a list of names with addresses and any special instructions. They take food to the door, knock and announce themselves. Some people come to the door, while some ask the volunteer to come in and place the meal on a table. There is no meal delivery on major holidays or during inclement weather.
The program does not charge for meals, but donations from clients for their meals help with the cost of the service.
“The congregate and home-delivered meals program is donation-based,” Betts says. “This means no matter what the meals actually cost, we do not send out bills or charge a specific amount. If someone needs a number to go by, we recommend $5 per meal; however, that is just a suggestion. Most people getting a meal pay an average of $3 per meal.”
Betts says with Panora joining the home delivery program, the amount Elderbridge budgeted for reimbursement has been exceeded for the 2024/2025 fiscal year.
“This means the meals are coming out of the hospital’s food budget,” she says. “Hopefully we are able to get more in the next fiscal year, which starts in July. Those who would like to donate to the program to help cover costs can send funds to the hospital, attention to Sneakers or congregate meals, or drop off a donation at the meal site.”
Guthrie Center residents interested in applying to attend the meal site or receive home delivery can call Sneakers Café at the Guthrie County Hospital at 641-332-3818. Panora residents interested in applying are asked to contact Jay or Sue Merryman, who say they have room for four more meal delivery recipients.
Kim Betts, food and nutrition services manager at the Guthrie County Hospital, coordinates the congregate and home delivery meals program available to seniors who live in Guthrie Center and Panora. She is shown with Sue Merryman, who is a Meals on Wheels delivery volunteer in Panora. Sue and her husband, Jay, also recruit and organize other volunteers to deliver meals in Panora. Dave and Ilene Olson are two of the volunteers who deliver weekday lunches to seniors who can’t attend the congregate meal site in Guthrie Center. Here they are shown picking up meals at the Guthrie County Hospital to deliver to people who live within the Panora city limits. Jay Merryman, a Meals on Wheels organizer and volunteer for Panora deliveries, picks up his free meal from Suzy Schulze at Sneakers Café at the Guthrie County Hospital. Volunteers can have a free meal on days they deliver. Jean Densmore is one of many volunteers who deliver meals to seniors who live in the Guthrie Center city limits. Sheryl Clark shows the two bags of food she will deliver to seniors in Guthrie Center. One bag holds hot food, and the other has cold items. Volunteers also receive a list of names with addresses and any special instructions when they pick up food bags at the Sneakers Café in the Guthrie County Hospital.
