Published: May 16, 2008 09:13 am         

Successful fundraiser will expand meal program to 7 days

By Lacie Morrison
lmorrison@mineralwellsindex.com

Thanks to record-breaking fundraising this year, the Palo Pinto County Meals on Wheels program is expanding its services to provide meals all week long to the organization’s participants.

“We’re over $28,000 actually,” announced Palo Pinto County Meals on Wheels Executive Director Patty Clark. “That was a lot of people working together.”

This year, the organization’s goal was $15,000, which was almost doubled this year. A number of fundraisers were hosted for the program including a Scottish festival, donation jars at local businesses and a chili supper.

Area groups and businesses hosted their own fundraisers as well. One local business raised almost $5,000 through employee-initiated fundraisers, Clark said. “The high school kids raised almost $1,000 … There was a lot of fundraising going on.”

In addition to the funds raised locally, the Meals on Wheels program will receive additional funding through the Feinstein Challenge. The challenge was started by a Rhode Island man who donates $1 million annually for hunger-ending agencies to raise money. The more an organization raises, the greater the contribution they receive from the challenge.

In the months of March and April, Clark said they raised more than twice as much money as last year. “No Meals on Wheels program has raised this much before in the county.

“I think it’s because the people of Palo Pinto County really do care about the elderly. … It’s become a very open program and more people are seeing the need.”

What the increase in donations means for the program is an increase in their services in the community.

“Our goal was to start weekend meals,” Clark said, in the new fiscal year. The program currently offers meals to elderly or homebound recipients on weekdays, regardless of holidays. Volunteers drive one of the different routes, hand delivering each meal to the program’s participants.

The expansion would allow for weekend deliveries to those who need the additional meals. “This will cover the added expense but we’ll still have to recruit volunteers,” Clark noted. “A lot of them [recipients] would benefit from it.”

Another local company is hosting another fundraiser Friday for the program.

Corrections Corporation of America is selling spuds with all the fixings to benefit the Meals on Wheels program. From now until Friday, orders can be phoned in or faxed to order a baked potato with all the fixings plus a drink for $5 each. The potatoes will be available from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday with an option to dine in at the North Oak Church of Christ at 901 N. Oak Ave. or have the meal delivered that day.

For more information or to place an order for Friday, call (940) 325-6296. Potato orders may also be faxed to (940) 325-1917.