The Executive Director of the Purchase Area Development District says meals for senior citizens in Marshall County were delivered to homes and provided at a local community kitchen on Monday.
The Marshall County Senior Citizens Center closed in Benton last week following cutbacks to nonprofits in the county budget. That center contracted with PADD for the federal and state funding of meal services. (Read more about this)
PADD Executive Director Jennifer Beck Walker said in a release on Monday the county is now piloting a new “Virtual Senior Center” with help from local government and nonprofit agencies.
The McCracken County Senior Citizens Center is providing home delivered meals to Marshall County seniors. Marcella’s Kitchen is providing congregate meals. The Marshall County government and a veteran-led volunteer group will provide transportation services.
PADD will hire a part time senior center director to coordinate the efforts as well conduct health education and health promotion at Marcella’s Kitchen and the courthouse. PADD will handle daily wellness checks until the director is hired.
“We are so pleased to be able to expand our mission to provide free meals to all the residents of Marshall County in need of a meal, regardless of age, race, or financial status,” said Marcella Perkins of Marcella’s Kitchen. “We’re excited about the prospect of having additional supportive services available for seniors while they are here having lunch.”
Walker said, “We are so grateful that our neighbors at the McCracken County Senior Center reached out to offer their services. Their willingness to immediately begin providing these state and federally funded home delivered meals meant there was no break in services to our most at-risk senior population.”
Marshall County Judge-Executive Kevin Neal said, “We are very proud to partner with Marcella’s Kitchen and the PADD to continue to make these services available to the seniors of Marshall County. Through partnership and collaboration, we are excited to play a role in seeing our senior citizens not only sustain, but to see them flourish.”
