Meals on Wheels able to expand coverage with freezer donation
Fri, 2016-09-30 05:00
News Staff
By PAMELA GRANT
Cove Leader-Press
Copperas Cove’s Meals on Wheels received a brand new freezer on Monday which will enable the group to provide even more meals to the community.
Clarence Enochs, president of the Morning Exchange Club of Copperas Cove, heard about Cove’s Meals on Wheels’ need for the appliance and members of the group quickly gathered and donated the money for the new freezer.
Lowe’s gave a discount of 50 percent and delivered the appliance for free. Obtaining the new freezer was made possible through the combined efforts of Clarence Enochs, Bo Roldan, Joann Courtland, Trudy Boton, Ronnie Viss, Annabelle Smith, Aaron Manzak with the Society for Leadership and Success at Texas A&M Central Texas, and Mayor Frank Seffrood.
Lowe’s employees Angie Sargent, Department Manager of Appliances for the Killeen Lowe’s; Debbie Peredo, Delivery Department Manager; and Josh Alvarez, driver, made sure the group could get a good deal on the freezer and delivered the brand new appliance to the senior center.
“It’s amazing,” said Christy Pierce, the chief operations officer for Hill Country Community Action Association. “We have so much support…Without their help and support, we wouldn’t be able to run these programs.”
Eloina “Bo” Roldan, a nutrition aide for Meals on Wheels in Copperas Cove said the new freezer will be able to hold up to 230 meals. Roldan was extremely grateful for the new freezer and for everyone who made it possible for them to obtain the appliance.
“Oh my God this is awesome, it means the world to me because our service can increase for the community. We can add more people to the route list that we have,” said Roldan. “It’s important to me that we can better our community.”
Roldan said she loves working with the seniors and hopes to be able to better their lives even if it’s just by providing them with that one meal a day. Meals on Wheels helps the elderly, disabled, and homebound by providing them a meal as well as social interaction once a day. For some of them, the interaction provided by the Meals on Wheels volunteers is all they have for most days.
“The reason why this touches me so much is because I know what it is to go to bed without a plate in front of you,” said an emotional Bo. “Just to see them open the door and give them that meal, it brightens their day.”
Clarence Enochs said that due to the discount provided by Lowe’s, the extra funds raised will be used towards purchasing a new cooler and some hot storage containers.
Enochs said Cove’s Meals on Wheels previously had a waiting list for the people that they could help, but with the new freezer, they will now be able to double the amount of people they can serve.
Angie Sargent, Department Manager of Appliances for the Killeen Lowe’s said she wishes she’d known about Meals on Wheel’s need for the freezer sooner. She said nobody should have to go hungry.
“I knew I had to do something,” said Sargent. “It was a blessing for them to come to us and for us to be able to take the opportunity to get this to them in a timely manner.”