City launches Cove Cares to feed elderly at home

By BRITTANY FHOLER 

Cove Leader-Press 

Tuesday marked day two of the Cove Cares Senior Meal Delivery Program and the first day where seniors received a free copy of the Copperas Cove Leader-Press newspaper with their meal. 

With senior citizens being one of the at-risk populations for the novel coronavirus COVID-19 and grocery stores running out of stock sporadically, the city of Copperas Cove came up with the idea for a meal delivery program for all residents over the age of 60. The city partnered with several sponsors including the Copperas Cove Independent School District, the Copperas Cove Chamber of Commerce, the Copperas Cove Economic Development Corporation, the Copperas Cove Ministerial Alliance, the Cove House Emergency Shelter, the Hill Country Community Action Association, Star Group-Veterans Helping Veterans, Atmos Energy Corporation and Jonas and Lessly Titas to serve meals to eligible residents who register. 

There have been six financial sponsorships so far, including Atmos Energy who donated $5,000 and Jonas and Lessly Titas who donated $500. 

The meals, prepared by CCISD Child Nutrition staff, are delivered Monday through Friday, between 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. 

The program started on Monday and saw more than 170 meals delivered on the first day. On Tuesday, that number had increased to 310, and on Wednesday, to 383. 

“The program will run until either a, the need is no longer necessary or until we run out of funding,” said Kevin Keller, Public Information Officer for the city.  

The program works in partnership with Meals on Wheels and is delivering meals to Meals on Wheels recipients as well. 

On Tuesday, 10 buses with three Transportation Department staff members on each bus, departed from the Copperas Cove High School parking lot and drove around Copperas Cove neighborhoods to deliver the meals with a copy of Tuesday’s publication of the Leader-Press. CCISD staff loaded the buses up before 11 a.m. 

Debra Murphy and Michael Murphy answered their door with a smile on Tuesday. 

Debra said she was glad to have heard about the program. Having end-stage renal disease, she tries to avoid crowds and standing in long lines. She said she thought it would have been complicated to sign up but found out it was actually very easy.

“It just was really a blessing,” Murphy said. “You think about all the people that have got to be donating their time and efforts to see that everybody’s taken care of. That really is going way above and beyond right now. That’s really a big blessing, at least for us, I’m sure it is for a lot of other people.”

Murphy said that with the changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic, their routine has changed as well and has definitely limited things. 

These meals will definitely help the Murphys make sure they have food to eat, she added. 

“Mondays through Fridays, they’re going to work out really well,” Murphy said. 

For more information on the program or to register for the program, email Jeri Wood, the Copperas Cove Senior Center Community Outreach Specialist, at jwood@copperascovetx.gov or call 254-547-6049.