Yuma’s meal programs have undergone several positive changes recently.
The Meet & Eat program has returned to in-person meals at the Yuma Community and Enrichment Center, while also still providing delivery service. Those who want a Meet & Eat meal delivered can call 848-0407.
What’s more, the meals now are being prepared at the center, after being prepared in Wray for many years. Also, the program has gone from three days per week to five, Monday through Friday. The kitchen crew in Yuma also is preparing the meals for the Wray Senior Center, where meals have been served five days per week for years. The Wray meals still are delivered to homes, as it still is not having in-person gatherings.
There were no in-person Meet & Eat events for 14 months in Yuma due to COVID-19 restrictions.
Community and Enrichment Center director Lonnie Metzler shared that between 35 to 50 meals are prepared each day, with about half going to Wray. Between 10 to 15 meals in Yuma also are home delivered, with the rest served in-house at CEC.
Metzler said Mondays and Thursdays are still a bit slower, explaining there were not meals on those days until going to the five-day format three weeks ago.
Anyone who wishes to volunteer for deliveries can call Metzler at 848-0407 to begin the process.
The suggested donation for those 60 years and older is $4 per meal. There is a mandatory charge of $11 for anyone under 60. The meals are served at 12 noon.
For years, the meals for the Meals on Wheels have been prepared at the Yuma Life Care Center. That facility is now closed down, but not Meals on Wheels.
The program’s leaders have transitioned the program to the Yuma District Hospital & Clinics kitchen, and The Harmony Home kitchen staff. The meals are available seven days per week, but one can choose which days they want a delivered meal. Call Alice Dahl at (970) 630-5921 or Robin Vincent at (970) 630-1981 to sign up for a meal. The cost is $5 per meal.
Yuma’s Meals on Wheels program has been on-going since the mid-1970s. While there is a national Meals on Wheels program, Yuma’s is a local community-run organization. Vincent said about eight to 10 meals are delivered daily.
There are approximately 20 volunteers who take turns delivering the meals. Vincent said one person does the delivery each day, and it takes about 30 minutes.
Anyone interested in helping with the meal delivery also can call Dahl or Vincent.
