The Perry Lutheran Homes Meals on Wheels team will deliver more than their regular hot meals to home-bound older adults on Monday, Dec. 18. Thanks to a $5,600 grant from the One Hundred+ People for Perry group, clients of the Meals on Wheels program will receive a Tyson Fresh Meats meat bundle and a gift card to a local Perry grocery store.
“Receiving pledged funds from One Hundred+ People for Perry and collaborating with Tyson Fresh Meats is a testament to the community of Perry,” said Melissa Gannon, chief operating officer and administrator of the Perry Lutheran Homes. “With so many home-bound older adults, it takes all of us to look out for a generation that gave so much to us. They deserve to be well-nourished and have an even brighter Christmas this year,”
On Monday morning, Perry Lutheran Homes’ Director of Development Lynette Groenenboom and other employees will join Tom Lipovac of the One Hundred+ People for Perry at Tyson Fresh Meats in Perry. At the plant, they will meet Tyson Fresh Meats Chaplain Gus Henrici and other employees, who will transfer the meat packages, which will then be delivered — along with the gift cards and some extra Christmas cheer — to Perry Lutheran Homes Meals on Wheels clients right alongside their daily hot meal.
“The mission of Perry Lutheran Homes is ‘Serving Christ by Serving Others,'” said Groenenboom. “One way we carry out this mission is to ensure older adults in Perry and northern Dallas County are nourished and well through our Meals on Wheels program.”
Groenenboom said the Perry Lutheran Homes staff prepares, cooks, transports and delivers more than 20,000 meals each year to home-bound older adults at low or no cost to them. For many elderly residents in their homes, the Meals on Wheels delivery person might be their only contact on a given day.
“Not only do we deliver meals,” she said, “we deliver smiles, friendly faces, warm greetings and daily encouragement. This program requires approximately $100,000 in additional support each year, and we need the community’s help to keep it going.”
The Perry Lutheran Homes Meals on Wheels service focuses on caring for older adults or others in need who are homebound because of illness, physical or mental impairment, who are unable to shop for food and/or prepare food independently or who are otherwise isolated living in Perry or Northern Dallas County.
More volunteers for the Meals on Wheels program are needed. Learn more, volunteer, or sign up to receive Perry Lutheran Homes Meals on Wheels service by calling Gina at 515-465-5316 or visiting the PLH’s Meals on Wheels website.
Mollie A. Clark is the director of marketing for the Perry Lutheran Homes.
