Kristi’s Update
Happy New Year! I love the start of a new year. It always seems like an exciting and hope-filled start of something unknown, with endless possibilities. This year at Meals on Wheels, we’ll be looking ahead to our future while taking some time to honor our past. 2019 marks our 45th anniversary serving the seniors in Benton and Franklin Counties. Our agency began in 1974 as the Bread and Butter program, and at that time we had funding for just 12 clients. Times have definitely changed, as we’ll serve about 208,000 meals to 2,300+ clients in 2018, over 12% more than in 2017! With this growth comes the need for added funding to pay for food and supplies, staff, insurance, etc. We rely on community support from both individuals and groups to help us meet this growing need. Throughout this newsletter, you’ll read about different people and groups who help in different ways. We are beyond grateful for all the support that allows us to continue with our mission to help people remain independent and living at home. As we move forward into the new year, please know that everyone here at Meals on Wheels is committed to helping seniors in our community enjoy a happy, healthy, and safe 2019!
Kristi Thien
Nutrition Services Director