Meals On Wheels:

They're called the "golden years," but for many aging Americans, growing older is tarnished by illness, loneliness, diminished capacity and a loss of independence. With age comes an increased chance of becoming dependent on others for help in performing the activities of daily living, including meal preparation. When low income is compounded with poor health, even more seniors have difficulty obtaining an adequate amount of food.

The Meals on Wheels program, administered by Catholic Charities of Decatur since July 2002, is geared toward ensuring the nutritional well being of the elderly, helping seniors stay happy, healthy and independent, longer. On weekdays, 350 lunches are planned by registered dieticians at Decatur Memorial Hospital and prepared in the facility's kitchens, then provided to homebound seniors in Decatur and several smaller communities in Macon County. An array of cheerful, caring volunteers, currently numbering close to 300, deliver hot, nutritious lunches with generous servings of kindness to program participants, many of whom live alone and leave their homes only on a limited basis. Generally, eligible persons are age 60 and older and have limited incomes.

Each meal supplies one-third of the federal nutritional recommended daily allowance and one-third of the recommended calorie intake. When necessary, meals can be prepared for people with special dietary needs. Currently, general, low-sodium, low-fat, diabetic, renal and bland options are available. A typical meal includes meat, vegetables and other items, such as dessert.