Despite high fuel costs ‘Meals’ keep rolling

June 17, 2008 08:10 pm

— By Tommy Mann Jr.
The Orange Leader

A vital community service which provides meals for senior citizens and disabled residents is feeling the crunch of rising fuel and food prices.
The Orange Community Action Association (OCAA), often referred to as “Meals on Wheels” by most people, is continuing with business as usual despite the highest fuel prices in American history.
According to Linda Hughes, OCAA director, the program prepares between 350 to 380 meals per day and delivers them to several locations in Orange County, including Optimist Village, the Bridge City Senior Center and Little Cypress Baptist Church, where they are served to those who qualify for the service.
Meals are also served at the OCAA location at the Wallace Center on Turret Street in Orange, and approximately 100 meals per day are delivered to residents in the community.
The program also provides transportation for area residents to and from locations for a small fee. Hughes said most destinations include appointments to the doctor or hair-stylist, grocery store, pharmacy and is typically used by residents ages 60 and older.
“Despite the rising cost of gasoline, we haven’t changed anything with our transportation or meal delivery yet,” Hughes said. “But with the way fuel costs and food are increasing, it’s really stretching us out.”
In an effort to make sure the program continues to run as smoothly as possible with no interruptions, Hughes said she tries to cut corners on expenses while still maintaining the high quality of the food service program.
“We really try to be conscious of what we buy now,” she said. “We are paid per meal, so we budget that money to make due with what we have, and we use local dollars and contributions to offset the remaining costs.”
One of the program’s biggest supporters is United Way of Orange County, which provided “Meals on Wheels” with $30,000 in 2008. In 2007, United Way provided $26,000 for the program.
“We feel very strongly about helping ‘Meals on Wheels’ to any extent that we can,” said Lynn Cardner, executive director of the Orange County chapter of the United Way. “They are certainly providing an unduplicated service to home delivered meals, and we will continue to do what we can to assist them.”
Orange County provides four drivers for the food delivery and transportation program, while OCAA also utilizes six more drivers. A total of 12 vehicles, which includes two full-time transportation buses are used.
“All of our vehicles use gasoline, except one,” she said. “We just got a new van which runs on propane. Really, there’s no cost savings in the amount of fuel, but it does burn fuel cleaner, so it’s better for the environment.”
Although the vans or buses may not get better gas mileage than other vehicles, Hughes said the vans are easier to use in terms of loading and unloading compared to a car’s trunk space.
And while the program continues to be unaffected by increasing fuel costs at this time, things are a little different for Hughes and her staff.
“We are short two people on our office staff,” Hughes said. “We have not replaced those two positions yet, so that has also kept our overall expenses within range. We’re just doing what we can to keep serving the people who depend on us for a good meal everyday.”
Citizens must meet a number of requirements to qualify for the meal program. To learn more about this program or the transportation program, call 409-886-2186 for details.

Reach this reporter at 409-883-3571, Ext. 2619 or tmann@orangeleader.com

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