MECOSTA — Trays moved down the line Friday as local officials stepped behind the counter at the Mecosta County Commission on Aging, helping close out this year’s March for Meals campaign by serving lunch to seniors.
County Controller/Administrator Mindy Taylor, Commissioner Gary Lambrix and Big Rapids Mayor Fred Guenther served at the 11 a.m. luncheon Friday, March 27, at the Mecosta County Commission on Aging, 12954 80th Ave. in Mecosta, as part of an effort to raise awareness about the meals program and the demand it continues to meet.
Meals coordinator Beth Whyte said the campaign was designed to highlight both the service and the people who rely on it.
“It’s just to get the awareness out about the meals program, what we do,” Whyte said.
Whyte said many Meals on Wheels programs across the country were dealing with wait lists.
She said Mecosta County had a wait list in December for the first time since she began overseeing the program four years ago, but was no longer turning people away when they called for meals.
Whyte also said community leaders who volunteered during the week supported seniors beyond March for Meals through fundraising and other efforts.
Attendee Jonnie Christiansen said the presence of elected officials and other community leaders carried weight because they could take what they learned back into their public roles.
“I think we should all be involved in whatever initiative we’re standing behind,” Christiansen said.
Figures shared during the luncheon put the local program at about 68,000 Meals on Wheels meals a year, underscoring the scale of the service and the work involved in delivering it across the county.
Attendee Carol Moore said the numbers were striking, especially when she considered the work done by volunteers during the winter.
“Can you imagine how many times a volunteer gets in and out of his car in the winter when he’s delivering these meals?” she said.
Moore said she also had seen the program help members of her own extended family and said the meal deliveries included more than just a hot lunch.
Guenther said the volume of meals and miles traveled stood out as statistics were read during the event.
“Unbelievable, isn’t it?” Guenther said.
Guenther also said he hoped another facility could one day open in Big Rapids so seniors who do not drive to Mecosta could have a closer place to gather for meals.
Mecosta County COA currently serves hot meals at the Barryton Senior Building, 71 Northern Ave., Barryton, on Mondays and Tuesday, in addition to five days a week at the Activities Center in Mecosta.
Whyte said the agency also used its food pantry to help seniors who were trying to make ends meet before their monthly checks arrived, and said the Morley Stanwood Eagles planned to hold a food drive for the pantry.
