Nevada County nonprofit supports seniors’ needs, which include meals, firewood and social gatherings
by Stacy Brandt
For Ed Pollack, the warm meals he receives from Meals on Wheels (MOW) twice weekly are more than just a convenience: He calls them a “godsend.”
“My life would be totally different if it wasn’t for Meals on Wheels,” says Pollack, who lives in a senior community in Grass Valley. “It makes life better.”
Pollack broke his hip about 10 years ago and has used a power chair since, making it difficult to shop for groceries and prepare meals himself. He says knowing he can count on the meals lessens his stress over food insecurity and enables him to stay in his community instead of moving to an assisted living facility.
In Western Nevada County, MOW is administered by Gold Country Senior Services, a nonprofit organization that provides a range of programs and services that support the health, well-being, and independence of older adults in the region. The organization also organizes activities, classes, events, congregate meals, and a firewood program for seniors. This work is particularly important in Nevada County, where a large percentage of the population is over 60.
There’s a team of people who ensure local seniors get healthy meals each week, including a nutritionist and more than 160 volunteers who help prepare and deliver the meals. During these deliveries, the volunteers connect with the seniors to offer conversation and a helpful check-in.
“What we do touches people in so many different ways. We hit on social health, nutrition, warmth. We are kind of a one-stop shop for everything someone might need as they’re aging.”
Anna Delgado-Campbell, Communications Coordinator, Gold Country Senior Services
That human interaction is vital to the success of the program, says Leslie Lovejoy, executive director of Gold Country Senior Services.
“So many times, our seniors start feeling isolated,” she explains. “Having that personal connection with somebody else is something incredibly important. We’re not just nourishing the body but nourishing the spirit as well.”
These regular interactions allow many of the program’s participants to continue living on their own.
“We help them stay independent and healthy and thriving,” Lovejoy says. “There are many people who would have to go to nursing or group homes if we weren’t here and they didn’t have us as a resource.”
The Nevada County MOW program is one of the many local programs funded in large part by Agency on Aging Area 4, which serves adults 60 or older, adults with disabilities, and the people who care for them in Nevada, Placer, Sacramento, Sierra, Sutter, Yolo, and Yuba counties.
“What we do touches people in so many different ways,” says Anna Delgado-Campbell, Gold Country Senior Services communications coordinator. “We hit on social health, nutrition, warmth. We are kind of a one-stop shop for everything someone might need as they’re aging.”
For more information on Gold Country Senior Services, visit www.goldcountryservices.org.
