Delivering hot meals five days a week to homebound or disabled senior citizens can put a lot of miles on vehicles. And with more people needing its services during the COVID-19 pandemic,the Madison County Senior Center needed some help.

Thanks to a grant from the Jackson EMC Foundation, the senior center’s Meals on Wheels program will soon have an additional vehicle to use to deliver meals to seniors. The Foundation recently awarded a $15,000 grant to the Madison County Senior Center to help buy a vehicle for its Meals on Wheels program. The Madison County Board of Commissioners and the Senior Center Advisory Council are also contributing to the new vehicle.

“It’s an important program and resource for the county,” said Kelsey Tyner, director of the Madison County Senior Center. “We need reliable transportation.”

During the week, drivers for the senior center take freshly prepared meals to participating seniors across Madison County. For manyparticipants, the lunchtime deliveries may be their only socia linteraction that day, Tyner said.

“We’re not only bringing them a nutritious meal, but we’re also checking on them to ensure they’re OK,” she added.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, requests for hot meals have increased, Tyner said. The Madison County Senior Center is now serving 93 clients – compared to 58 clients before the pandemic started. And with more clients, has come more mileage. The Danielsville-based Meals on Wheels program now travels an estimated 3,000 miles a month to deliver meals to clients.

With a new vehicle, the program will continue to make a difference for senior citizens in need of a friendly visit and hot meal, especially as many clients to continue to social distance, Tyner added.

For more information about the Madison County Senior Center, visit facebook.com/madisoncountyseniors.