After Nancy and Troy have prepared the meals, they are packed into insulated containers. Richard Brenenstall from Elvaston loads the containers into a van and delivers the meals to each center. He also delivers meals to the homebound in Hamilton.
The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
By Judy Swanson, Quill Staff
Meals On Wheels was started thirty years ago in La Harpe in 1974 to help serve healthy affordable meals to senior citizens under a program called Meals Plus.
According to the Meals Plus Quincy web site, part of the Meals Plus mission is to provide meals to seniors either by delivery or at a meal site.
The meal service was first catered by the Terre Haute Cafe who cooked for the program for five years.
From 1979 to 1983, the Tastee Freez in La Harpe prepared the meals until Meals Plus purchased their own building on the south side of Main Street.
In 1976, Meals Plus also furnished the local Senior Center with a 15 passenger van to bring people to the center as well as to deliver meals to those unable to come to the center to eat. The city also furnished financial help for the project.
Meals Plus serves an average of 100 meals a day. They have prepared as many as 300-320 meals on days the centers celebrate holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter. They serve seniors in La Harpe, Dallas City, Warsaw, Hamilton, and Carthage.
Head cook is Nancy Jones, a 14 year veteran, with her son, Troy Jones as her assistant.
They serve the meals at the "Senior Picnic" in the city park event, which is held at various locations in the county. This past June, it was held in La Harpe at the Community Club House. An average of 100-150 people attend this yearly event. Nancy and Troy also prepare meals for each center's birthday party and include special meals for diabetics.
A monthly menu is sent from the main office in Quincy to Nancy and who then daily prepares the meals from it. The menu consists of a choice from two main courses, a vegetables, fruit, milk and bread .
Some items are prepared the day before like salads or cake or muffins.
After Nancy and Troy have prepared the meals, they are packed into insulated containers. Richard Brenenstall from Elvaston loads the containers into a van and delivers the meals to each center. He also delivers meals to the homebound in Hamilton.
Nancy calls each center each day to get the number of reservations for the next day so that she will know how many meals to prepare.
Both Nancy and Troy have food sanitation certifications through the Department of Health.
In addition to the meals, Meals Plus also furnishes paper plates, eating utensils, napkins, paper cups, paper towels, dish soap, and toilet paper to each of the five centers.
Meals Plus is a West Central Illinois Nutrition Project with Director Juanita Allen of Quincy in charge. It is supported by Fund raisers, memorials, some governmental funding and clients who pay on donation basis.
Meals on Wheels
Meals are delivered to seniors in their home, who are frail and homebound or unable to cook. Hot noon meals are available with a breakfast bag and a frozen meal for evenings.
Congregate Meal Site
Seniors are invited to come together and eat at a local meal site. Noon meals are served at the Senior Center 5 days a week.
Eligibility: Meals on Wheels - Seniors over 60 years old and homebound; Congregate - Seniors over 60 years old, can bring a guest; Fees: Donation basis; the cost of the Meals on Wheels is $4.50, while the cost of the Congregate meal is $4.00. If a senior cannot afford the total cost, they are asked to contribute what they can. Under 60 years of age, must pay full cost of the meal; The Quincy office serves seniors in: Adams, Pike, Calhoun, Hancock, Brown, and Schuyler Counties. Contact Meals Plus Office at Quincy (217) 224-5031 for complete information.
Nancy Jones, La Harpe's Meals Plus head cook for five Hancock County locations, is busy preparing the noon meal for around 100 seniors who take advantage of the Meals On Wheels offering.
Nancy's son, Troy Jones , is the assistant cook at Meals Plus.