PINEVILLE -- The McDonald County Senior Center must sell 50 meals a day to receive full funding for programs at the center, according to a mandate set by the state.
Louine Gardner, manager of 14 years at the McDonald County Senior Center, said the facility serves meals five days a week in Noel, where the senior center is located, and serves meals at the Methodist Church in Pineville every Tuesday. Meals are $3.50 for individuals over the age of 60 and $7 for individuals 59 and under. Gardner said the menu varies each day. Gardner said that on July 12 the center will be selling meals consisting of beef enchiladas, Mexican rice, refried beans, and toppings at the Methodist Church. Food will be available at the church from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Gardner added that the McDonald County Senior Center provides food to home-bound individuals, although those meals are not counted when working toward the goal of 50 meals a day.
"We have 67 home-bound clients," Gardner said. "We take food to them once a week," Gardner said, noting that the center leaves various meals with home-bound clients, providing enough food for them to last a week.
Gardner said the McDonald County Senior Center typically sells 15-20 meals a day when serving in Noel and sold about 40 meals when serving food at the Methodist Church during their last visit, still falling short of their goal. Gardner said a consistent average is 27 meals sold per day.
"Counting the church and what we did here, this Tuesday we had 42 people," Gardner said. "We're not reaching the goal. We're not going to do it every day, but if we could get closer to what we need, we'd be better off."
Gardner said the center cannot currently sell food carryout style, although it could during the peak of covid-19.
"At this time, we can't do carryout, we're hoping we can soon," Gardner said. "It's before Congress for us to do carryout, which would really help our situation," Gardner said, noting those meals could be counted when working toward their daily goal.
Gardner said the center has had an issue reaching its daily quota for about four years. Gardner noted the quota was easier to reach at one point as home-bound meals were counted toward the center's goal.
Jennifer Shotwell, chief executive officer at the Area Agency on Aging, said she corresponds with Gardner as the senior center strives toward its quota. Shotwell said funding for the center comes from Title III BC funding, which offers supportive and nutritional services.
"The state statute that we operate under provides that if we serve less than 50 meals per day, on average in a month, we have to apply for a waiver in order to have our funding be distributed to that senior center," Shotwell said.
Shotwell said the McDonald County Senior Center does not receive funding directly, but rather through the Area Agency on Aging.
Shotwell said that, through the funding that may be lost, fewer programs are able to be funded for the senior center.
"It's not so much that they would get more funding but, by having more seniors come in, we're more likely to be able to schedule more programming in that area," Shotwell said. "To have folks come in there to present to 10 or 12 people, it's just easier to send them to Neosho where they're going to see 50 people."
Shotwell said The Area Agency on Aging wants to distribute funds where they will have the most impact.
"Because we have to employ four people, maintain an expensive kitchen full of equipment, and provide the cost of the food, obviously we want to make sure we're spending those dollars in an area where that helps the majority of the seniors to access our services and nutrition services," Shotwell said.
Shotwell said that, in McDonald County, according to U.S. Census, there is an estimated 3,500 people over the age of 65.
"We are concerned that we're not seeing more than 10 or 15 in that center," Shotwell said.
Individuals interested in purchasing meals can purchase on Tuesdays from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Methodist Church in Pineville.