BY OLANA McDONALD
‘We Try To Be That Somebody For Our Seniors’ Jenny Martinez, Executive Director of Marion Senior Services
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he Ocala Metro is a place where the sun shines brighter than the rest of the state. With rolling hills, natural springs, and a family atmosphere, there’s no question as to why senior citizens choose Ocala as their retirement destination. Nearly 30 percent of the population in Marion County is over 65 years old, meaning the need for senior services is greater here than in many other counties. Senior services include meals, transportation, and in-home support, but those who work or volunteer for Marion Senior Services have made it more than that. Serving seniors in Marion County is also about companionship, respect, and devotion. 7:28am: The staff arrives at Marion Senior Services to accept the truck delivery, count meals, and check food temperatures for the Meals on Wheels drivers to pack and load into their vehicles. Monday through Friday, nearly 400 meals are delivered at little or no cost to seniors across the county. Jenny Martinez, executive director of Marion Senior Services, arrives with Meals on Wheels staff drivers shortly after 8:30. She checks with the drivers and nutrition coordinators to make
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sure the day is starting smoothly before walking down the hall to her office. “We are the only family some of our seniors have,” Jenny says. “Many people sit at home in isolation and look forward to their meal delivery each day so they can chat with another person.” Isolation is a crippling reality for retirees, which has worsened with COVID-19, and this is at the forefront of meal delivery drivers’ minds each day as they begin their delivery route. 9:29am: Meals on Wheels drivers start pulling out of the driveway and begin dropping off meals to seniors across the Ocala Metro. Whether the driver is paid staff or a volunteer, they know that by seeing the same people each day, they become a companion to the food recipients. “Daily visits allow us to perform wellness checks,” Jenny explains, “and call for help if we think something is wrong.” Having someone knock on your door each day not only creates a bond between the senior and the driver, but it also allows the senior to have a sense of security in knowing a friend will come knocking each day. 1:05pm: Meal delivery drivers
OCALA’S GOOD LIFE retirement redefined
Photo Courtesy Michelle Foster Photography
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begin returning to Marion Senior Services, smiling as they greet one another and return their insulated bags to the kitchen. Some of the drivers leave for the day, while others wait for their bags to be refilled with boxes of food. “In going through this unprecedented pandemic, it brought new attention to existing problems as well as shined a light on new realities that affect the elderly population in high numbers,” Jenny says. “As a result, we’ve found positive in the negative and created programming to not only counteract some of these issues while we’re still deep in the trenches of COVID-19, but also to continue and grow once it’s in our collective rearview mirrors.” An additional nutrition program made its debut earlier this year in May. Warm Meals Warm Hearts (WMWH) is also aimed at improving the nutritional status of and food reassurance for those age 60 and older and is a partnership between MSS and local restaurants and food vendors. The program provides another roughly 500 restaurant-cooked-and-packaged meals delivered right to their home on a select day each week. MSS has joined with
