Every weekday, excluding holidays, lunch is served at the center at 11:30AM.  Lunch is provided with a suggested donation of $2 per day to qualifying individuals.  To qualify, you must:

• Be 60 or older. (Those who are younger than 60 may bring a lunch or pay full price.)
• Be the spouse of an eligible person.
• Be an individual with a disability who resides in a household with an eligible person and accompanies them to the meal site.

Senior Center participants that are not eligible for meals may bring their lunch, pay the full cost of the meal or secure a sponsor to pay the full cost of the meal.

Home Delivered Meals           

The Senior Center provides home delivered meals in Lumpkin County through a network of volunteers.  In order to be a recipient of the "Meals on Wheels" program, you must:

• Be age 60 or older. 
• By reason of illness or disability or so isolated that you cannot come to the center for meals.
• Be the spouse of an eligible person, if the AAA determines that receipt of the meal is in the best interest of the client.  (Example:  A wife is 58 but unable to cook.  Her husband is 61.  They both may receive a homebound meal if the AAA approves.)
• Be an individual with a disability who resides in a household with an eligible person.

Disabled means having a disability declared so by the Social Security Administration.  If the person is not receiving benefits, they are not legally disabled.

Persons who are disabled may still not be able to receive a meal if funding is not available.  Those 60+ and those with lower incomes and greatest social and economic need receive priority in receiving meals.

Clients have a choice of hot or frozen meals.  The frozen meals come in boxes of five (5) meals.  These meals can be eaten either at the noon hour or for supper.

Boxes of soup, crackers, juice and cookies called Stables are distributed during the winter months in case of inclement weather.  Clients will need to keep Stables for those days that meals cannot be delivered.

**Steps to Receiving Homemaking & Home Delivered Meal Services:

1.  A Legacy Link Inc Client Referral Form must be filled out completely.  This form may be obtained from the Senior Center or from Legacy Link, Inc.

2.  When form is returned to Legacy Link Inc, it is evaluated and the potential client will receive a telephone call from a care coordinator.  At this time the CC will set up an appointment for assessment.

3.  When assessment is completed the CC will contact the Senior Center to verify that services may begin.  At this time the Senior Center will either start services or the client will be put on a waiting list.

4.  The Senior Center will contact clients when services are going to start.  Clients will receive a Cllient Notification when meals are delivered for the first time.

Home Delivered Meal assessments will be completed by Senior Center staff.   The first assessment will be made three months after service begins.  Assessments thereafter will take place every six months, as long as quality service has been obtained by the client.  Visits will be scheduled more frequently if clients health is failing.

Nutrition Education

Once a month, the county extension office sends a Nutrition expert to share information and answer questions concerning nutrition issues.  

Commodities

Once a quarter, commodities (food supplies) are provided by the Ninth District to eligible participants based on monthly income.  These are delivered to the center and distributed to center and HDM participants.  Each participant must sign for these commodities when received.

Contributions

The Senior Center programs receive money to operate from federal, state and local sources, but participant contributions are very important to be able to provide and continue services.  When participants first begin the meals program, they are asked about monthly income.  They then are given a suggested contribution amount based upon their income.  Some people have high medical expenses or other bills that make it hard to contribute a certain amount of money each month.  If participants absolutely cannot contribute, they should speak to the Director.  They may be able to suggest other programs that can be of assistance.

Everyone can give something.  When participants make a contribution, that money allows us to continue to serve meals throughout the year and also helps us to provide others with meals.

There is a contribution box on the information table for participants to place contributions.  No one needs to know what is given.  Remember, every time a $1 is given, it buys another meal the center can provide.

Each Person is Provided an Opportunity to Voluntarily Contribute to the Cost of Each Service 

The following information may be helpful when you make a contribution:

                          Home Delivered Hot Meal          =    $2.50

                          Congregate Hot Meal                =    $2.50

                          Home Delivered Frozen Meal     =    $2.75