Ocean County senior’s who rely on their meals delivered to their home will continue having that vital lifeline in their life.

Joe Vicari
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The board of Freeholders is set to approve six contracts at their December 21st meeting with the non profit organization Community Services Inc. totaling $2,541,116. The organization provides several programs including congregate meals home delivered meals, social support services and chronic disease self management.”

Under the contracts, Community Services, Inc. plans to provide 66,610 congregate meals in the amount of $782,173 and 193,042 home delivered meals in the amount of $1,250,422 in 2012.

Jane Maloney, Director of Ocean County’s Department of Health and Senior Services says the congregate meals operate nine nutrition sites where people can go and have a hot meal.
”But at the same time have socialization and outreach and benefit screening and even some exercise. “

FIND A NUTRITION SITE IN YOUR AREA

Brant Beach Nutrition Site Long Beach Township (609) 494-3929

Brick Nutrition Site Brick (732) 920-0700

Eagleswood Township Nutrition Site West Creek (609) 296-3660

Home Delivered Meals Lakewood (732) 367-1401

Jackson Township Nutrition Site Jackson (732) 928-1200 x290

Lacey Township Nutrition Site Lanoka Harbor (609) 693-0661

Lakewood Kosher Home Delivered Meals Lakewood (732) 901-6001

Lakewood Township Nutrition Site Lakewood (732) 367-6073

Lavallette Nutrition Site Lavallette (732) 830-5656

Manchester Township Nutrition Site Manchester (732) 657-8448

Ocean County Hunger Relief Toms River (732) 505-4357

The Salvation Army Toms River (732) 270-8393

Whiting Satellite Site Whiting (732) 849-1807

In addition to the meals, 11,032 units of nutrition education/nutrition counseling will be provided by a registered dietician to both congregate and home delivered meals participants.

Maloney says that for many seniors the hot meal they receive through a delivered service is more than sustenance. “It’s a safety check. It’s an individual coming into someone’s house who has no one in the house to cook for them and is ill and not able to get out of the house to cook for themselves.”

Every person who applies for delivered food gets an in home by trained outreach workers to address their needs and what they qualify for. Maloney notes that as the economy suffered so did the demand for the services, but not necessarily the funding.

“We’ve received no increases from the federal or state and the county over the past has been able to increase funding but at this point they’re really attempting to hold their own because they’re people tax dollars. “

Community Services, Inc. also plans to provide over 43,300 social support services such as Outreach, Benefits Screening, Transportation, Language Translation and others in the amount of $478,749 in 2012.  And, Community Services, Inc. is expected to provide 600 units of “Take Control of Your Health”  an evidenced based chronic disease self management program in the amount of $29,772 in 2012.

 

 

 

 

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