Serving up DELICIOUS MEALS

By Celeste Edenloff Alexandria Echo Press

The Alexandria Meals on Wheels program serves between 100 and 150 meals per day Monday through Friday. It also serves frozen meals to people who want meals over the weekend.

Janet Baker, who started at the Alexandria Meals on Wheels program in 2015 as the chef and manager, said the meals are designed by a dietician to meet one-third of the recommended dietary allowances.

The meals vary day-to-day. She said it could be meatballs, mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans, bread, milk and a cookie one day and the next day, it could be taco salad, cornbread, apple, milk and ice cream. The menus are printed monthly, but she said that meals are subject to change without notice depending on supply chain, truck deliveries and other circumstances.

One meal per day is what most people get delivered, said Baker, with meals being delivered between 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Most peo- ple have meals delivered Monday through Friday and some will get two extra frozen meals to cover the weekend. There are also some, she said, who just get meals delivered on alternate days.

Baker also noted that the Meals on Wheels offers shelf-stable meals before winter sets in – five meals per box for a $20 suggested donation. This way, she said, if there is a snow day and food cannot be delivered, people would have food on hand.

Those interested in signing up for the Meals on Wheels program must be over the age of 60. The current suggested donation per meal is $4, which Baker called a “remarkable bargain.” The cost is billed out once a month. To sign up, call 320-762-4280 or stop by the Alexandria Senior Center and request a registration form.

Volunteer Drivers Needed

The Alexandria Meals on Wheels program has two paid part-time staff and everyone else who helps out are volunteers, said Baker. Most of the volunteers are drivers for