(Jackson, Miss.) – The holiday season will be a little bit brighter for thousands of aging Mississippians thanks to a program offered by the Mississippi Department of Human Services.
The Home Delivered Meals program (HDM), made possible by the Older Americans Act of 1965, provides eligible homebound, functionally impaired persons, particularly those in greatest economic and social need, five nutritious meals per week. Through the program, 125,000 meals are delivered each month to 7,073 homes across the state.
The meals are delivered by drivers with Trio Food Services, who develop relationships with the beneficiaries and are therefore an invaluable asset, according to Mark Williamson, Director of the MDHS Division of Aging and Adult Services. “The Drivers get to know the recipients, and in turn the recipients get to know and trust them,” he said. “This enables drivers to identify if something is wrong with the recipients and report that, which is a very valuable resource for us.”
MDHS Executive Director Christopher Freeze said providing services such as Home Delivered Meals to our aging population is not only valuable, but the right thing to do.
“Many of the individuals on this program aren’t able to take care of themselves like they used to, and many may not otherwise know where their next meal would come from,” Freeze said. “Our aging population spent their lives taking care of us. Now it’s time for us to take care of them.”
For more information and to apply for the Home Delivered Meals program, visit https://www.mdhs.ms.gov/adults-seniors/services-for-seniors/.
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