love, delivered daily

Marion County Senior Services’ Meals on Wheels program

o ers more than just food.

Ms. Diane is someone you know or, at least, someone you’ve met. She’s the lady in the apartment next door whom you never see anymore. She’s the woman at church who no longer shows up on Sunday. She’s the elderly. The ill. And the utterly alone.

She is, in fact, a real person here in Marion County. But she also symbolizes a growing, local elderly population who, if not for the care and attention of a few gentle souls, would have simply passed away in their own beds, forgotten by the rest of the world.

But Ms. Diane is not one of those people anymore.

By Sean Trapani

She, and hundreds more like her here in Marion County, get a lifeline of food and human contact delivered to their homes every day thanks to the Meals on Wheels program, coordinated through Marion Senior Services (MSS).

“Due to her health condition, [Ms. Diane] was unable to provide for herself in multiple capacities,” said MSS Executive Director Jennifer Martinez. “… if Meals on Wheels had not been provided, she would have not eaten or received the proper nutrition required for her recovery.”

Fortunately, local Meals on

Wheels’ volunteers are not taking this kind of problem lying down. Every day, volunteer drivers deliver more than 350 meals to people throughout Marion County, including a little something for their pets, as volunteers often noticed people would give their meals to their pets instead of feeding themselves, so drivers worked with shelters to collect pet food.

“The services we provide the seniors of Marion County are critical, and the need is rapidly increasing,” said Martinez. “Together, we can keep seniors living independently, healthier

SAYING THANKS!

at home and feeling more connected to their community as they age.”

Fortunately, Ms. Diane’s story has a happy ending. But there are thousands of other stories whose endings remain a question.

If you’d like to be part of the solution, there are several ways to help people like Ms. Diane here at home. For more information on how you can volunteer, contribute or advocate for seniors in Marion County, reach out to Marion Senior Services’ Volunteer Coordinator Amy Brault at (352) 620-3501

Please join us in thanking these local “Restaurant Champions” who recently donated portions of their Wednesday profits in March to our local Meals on Wheels program: Kotobuki Japanese Steakhouse, The Mojo Grill, Ivy on the Square, Blue Highway, Molly Maguire’s, Miller’s Ale House and Pasta Faire.

In With The New

Adventist Health System, the parent company of Florida Hospital, recently announced it has signed an agreement for the lease of 421-bed Munroe Regional Medical Center and its related outpatient locations and the purchase of certain assets. The transaction is expected to close during the third quarter, and once o cial, the facility will join the West Florida Division as the second largest hospital in the division and the third largest in Adventist Health System. Work to complete the transaction will take place over the next few months.

“Florida Hospital is a respected health care provider, and becoming a part of their organization creates an exciting opportunity for the hospital to become part of a large regional network,” says Jim O’Loughlin, chief executive o cer for Munroe Regional Medical Center. “Working together, we can continue the hospital’s commitment to care for the Marion County community.”