MEALS ON WHEELS
Home delivered meals include one hot meal
daily that meets at least 1/3 of the recommended
daily allowance of all nutrients required by
adults for five or more days per week to seniors
who are homebound. The average Meals on Wheels
participant is 78 years old, lives alone and
reports needing assistance with at least two
independent activities of daily living.
Participants for the home delivered meal program
must be unable to physically attend a senior
center and be unable to safely prepare their own
meals. For these seniors, meals assistance is
crucial. Over 87% of the seniors served by Fort
Bend Seniors Meals on Wheels Program have
household incomes under $15,000, and often in
the homes of married couples, both seniors have
health issues.
FACTS
The primary focus of Fort Bend Seniors is
the Meals on Wheels program. Fort Bend
Seniors expects to serve 130,000. This program includes three types of
meal services: home delivered meals, emergency
shelf stable meals and congregate meals.
EMERGENCY
SHELF STABLE MEALS
Emergency shelf stable meals are meals with
a shelf life of one year that are delivered to
seniors for use when home delivery is
unavailable due to emergency weather conditions.
Fort Bend Seniors provides at least two of these
meals annually to homebound and congregate Meals
on Wheels participants. Emergency shelf stable
meals are also provided to seniors who find
themselves in temporary emergency situations
such as a recent discharge from the hospital or
an unexpected change in a senior’s finances.
CONGREGATE
MEALS
Congregate meals include one hot meal daily
that meets at least 1/3 of the recommended daily
allowance of all nutrients required by adults
provided in a group setting. An integral part of
the Meals on Wheels program, Fort Bend Seniors
provides congregate meals five days per week at
eight locations in Fort Bend and Waller
counties.
The congregate
meal program also includes nutrition education
and an opportunity to interact socially with
other seniors. Additionally, the congregate meal
program provides an important opportunity for
seniors to visit with Fort Bend Seniors’ staff
regarding additional needs and services.
TRANSPORTATION
Fort Bend Seniors provides transportation of air conditioned, handicapped
accessible vans to each site location where a
congregate meal program is available.
Transportation is also available for field
trips and shopping trips. They are available
through transportation voucher or on an as
needed basis.
RECREATION
Fort Bend Seniors provides daily
recreational opportunities for seniors who
attend the congregate meal program. A monthly
calendar of events is provided to seniors
outlining upcoming recreational and social
programs. Activities include field trips, arts
and crafts, bingo, exercise, dancing and holiday
events giving seniors opportunity to socialize
with their peers on a regular basis.
HEALTH SCREENINGS
Fort Bend Seniors provides vital health
screenings for seniors at their congregate
sites. The program includes screenings for
hearing, vision, depression and other senior
related health screenings on an annual basis.
Nutrition education programs are also provided
through this program.
CASE MANAGEMENT
Fort Bend Seniors provides individual
assessments to determine seniors’ needs in the
areas of social services, nutrition and health
care. Once an assessment is completed, Fort Bend
Seniors’ staff arrange for the appropriate
services to be delivered and provide follow-up
reviews to insure all needs are being met.
INFORMATION AND
REFERRAL
Fort Bend Seniors maintains a database of
important information relating to seniors and
their needs. Vital information is provided to
seniors in need of services and opportunities
and referrals are coordinated by Fort Bend
Seniors staff.
COMMUNITY ACCESS
Fort Bend Seniors serves seniors age 60 and
over residing in Fort Bend and Waller Counties.
Eight site locations provide agency services
Monday through Friday from 9 am to 1:30 pm.
Seniors interested in receiving services can
contact the Fort Bend Seniors’ site nearest them
or Fort Bend Seniors’ headquarters toll free at
1.800.643.9654.
FINANCIAL SUPPORT
Fort Bend Seniors receives annual support from
the Houston-Galveston Area Council Agency on
Aging, Texas Department of Human Services
Community Development, the United Way of Texas
Gulf Coast, Federal Emergency
Management Assistance, Fort Bend County
Commissioners Court, Waller County Commissioners
Court, Sugar Land Community Development Block
Grant, Missouri City Community Development Block
Grant, Fort Bend Community Development Block
Grant, The George Foundation, Corporate
Donations, Civic Group Donations and Private
Donations.
The Above sources do not meet the budgetary
requirements of the agency.
Additional
opportunities to financially support Fort Bend
Seniors include planned giving and memorial
gifts. These programs provide donors
opportunities to support Fort Bend Seniors
through regular planned donations as well as
honoring/remembering family, friends and others
and specific times.
In addition to
these sources, Fort Bend Seniors’ board of
directors, staff and volunteers organize
fundraising opportunities throughout the year.
These activities are paramount to the
organization’s success to continue to meet the
increasing demand for services for seniors in
Fort Bend and Waller Counties.
Annual fundraising
activities typically include:
• Community Events such as Annual Golf Classic,
Groovy Party, and Festivities
• Brown Bag It! – A student participation
program developed in area schools
• Various seasonal endeavors |
