Food Program Freezes Home Delivery: ; Enormous Demand; Forces Officials to Stop Taking Applications

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Overwhelming demand has caused officials of the senior nutrition program that serves Kanawha County to stop accepting applicants for home-delivered meals. The Putnam Aging Program provides meals to senior citizens in Kanawha, Putnam, Fayette and Clay counties, said Clinton Bud Beaver, executive director. The meals are provided to the seniors for a donation but are free if the senior cannot afford to pay, Beaver said. The agency served about 220,000 meals in Kanawha County between Oct. 1, 2009, and Sept. 30, 2010. About 60 percent, or about 132,000, of those meals were home deliveries, he said. The agency typically served about 175,000 meals during the same months in previous years, so the increase in the past year has been more than 25 percent. There are more people requesting home deliveries than our drivers can reach, Beaver said. This is the first time the agency ever has had to put a freeze on home- delivered meals, and the freeze affects only Kanawha County, he said. The agency cant afford to hire new drivers to keep up with the demand, he said. Beaver estimates the agency has spent about $200,000 more on food and delivery costs than in previous years. The agency has siphoned money from other sources, such as its Rainy Day Fund, to help cover the shortfall, Beaver said. Putnam Aging is seeking donations from individuals to help alleviate the financial burden caused by the increase in demand. Those wishing to donate can call 304-755-2385. Agency officials also have written letters to state legislators seeking additional funding, Beaver said. They also could be traveling to county commissions in their service area to ask for money. Weve never asked the county commissions to help us with the nutrition program, Beaver said. The West Virginia Bureau of Senior Services also provided about $60,000 more than what is typically given in a year to help fund the shortfall, he said. The agency is also seeing increased for both home-delivered and nutrition site meals in Fayette, Clay and Putnam counties, Beaver said. However, the increased demand in those counties doesnt reach the level that is being seen in Kanawha. Id say were seeing a 5 percent increase in the number of meals served in Putnam, Clay and Fayette counties, he said. Beaver has been associated with the program for about 14 years eight as executive director. He has never seen the demand for meals at this level, he said. Beaver thinks the down economy is the main factor. Children have had to cut back on what they can contribute to their parents, Beaver said. Randy Byrnside is the site director for Putnam County Agings Charleston Area Nutrition Site at the Tiskelwah Center on Florida Street. Byrnside said about 325 meals a day are served at the center, and 250 are home deliveries. The site averages about 10 new home delivery clients a month, and Byrnside said he has had to deny about 30 new people since the freeze was initiated. It makes me very sad because its the holidays and people may not have a meal, he said. Grover Akers, 78, of Charleston was eating his meal at the Tiskelwah Center on Tuesday. Akers said he thinks the program is very important to seniors at the site as well as those who receive their meals at home. He said he was sorry to hear about the freeze on new clients for home deliveries. It will be hard on some people, he said. Mary Ramsey, 83, of Charleston, agreed. Its a shame that they wont be taking new people, Ramsey said. A lot of people depend on this.

TOM HINDMAN/DAILY MAIL Randy Byrnside, site director at the Charleston Area Nutrition Site for Putnam Aging, surveys the inventory for upcoming meals this week. Putnam Aging is unable to accept new clients for home-delivered meals because drivers cannot reach all of those requesting the service during the workday.

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Food Program Freezes Home Delivery: ; Enormous Demand; Forces Officials to Stop Taking Applications

Byrnside said drivers...

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