Several people have expressed interest in my volunteering to deliver meals as part of the Sacramento County's Senior Nutrition program. One of the most frequent questions is "who qualifies to receive such services?" I must admit that I was surprised at the wide range of neighborhoods and homes that we delivered to. I was also a little surprised at how relatively few meals are delivered in a county as large as Sacramento. According to the program's web site, they deliver about 1,200 meals per day in a county that has a population of roughly 1.5 million. That is less than 0.1 percent.
I called the program to verify the qualifications for receiving meals and was informed that it is really quite simple:
1. Be age 60 or older
2. Be medically homebound and frail
3. Live in Sacramento county
A call to the program (916-444-9533) starts the process. After a phone interview, a county human assistance worker will likely visit the home to verify age and medical condition. There does appear to be a waiting list but I was unable to determine how large it is. The reason is partially due to the country's budget limitation and partially due to the number of volunteer drivers available. Until recently, the size of the central food preparation facility was also a significant factor.
No comments:
Post a Comment