The Prince George Council of Seniors, which operates the Meals on Wheels program in the bowl area, North Nechako and College Heights, got a big boost Thursday afternoon.
Prince George Ford donated $40,000 to the Meals on Wheels program that will help offset the cost of each meal provided to those in need who are 65 years and older.
“That was not what I was expecting when Garth (Miller, PG Ford sales) walked into the office and said ‘hey, is $40,000 going to be enough for you guys?’" laughed Malhar Kendurkar, executive director of the Prince George Council of Seniors.
“I just didn’t know what to say. That is a huge donation and it will go such a long way to supporting the Meals on Wheels program. Financially we always struggle with this program and because of this generous donation it will keep the price of the meals low.”
Until recently there were 40 people on the wait list for the much-needed service that offers affordable, nutritious, hot midday meals, which are more the size of a big dinner, delivered to each client’s door.
“We now serve 139 clients and each meal costs $9.50,” said Andy Agbenin, the new Meals on Wheels co-ordinator.
The council has managed to recruit volunteer drivers to deliver all the meals but there’s always room for more and there’s also an opportunity for relief drivers who are needed when regular drivers go on vacation or need a break, he added.
Instead of contracting out the cooking of the Meals on Wheels food, the Prince George Council of Seniors (PGCOS) has hired a kitchen staff of two that create the meals at a rented kitchen space not far from the council’s office.
“We’ve taken that over in order to control the cost,” said PGCOS vice-chair Janet Marren.
“And then we put donations and fundraising towards it to keep those costs as low as possible.”
The council is also looking to expand in the College Heights so that they can increase that service from two to three days a week, Kendurkar said.
“We thought it was an important cause to help out the seniors,” Cheryl Riddle, controller, at PG Ford, said about the donation. “We thought it was important to get a partnership between Prince George Ford and the Prince George Council of Seniors because it’s definitely very important to look after the seniors.”
Prince George Ford has a community fund that usually sees several smaller donations distributed but this year decided to make a significant donation they knew would make more of an impact to those in need, Riddle added.
“Garth (Miller, PG Ford sales) has been with us for about 20 years and he’s such an advocate for the Council of Seniors and we’ve supported them in the past and they took some time to visit us and showed us the need,” Chris Wall, general manager at PG Ford, said who presented the cheque to the Prince George Council of Seniors.
“We knew about the Meals on Wheels program but they just displayed how important it is to the community and how impactful it is to the group who uses these services. We just felt that we should give as much as we could towards this to help them achieve their goals because it’s so daunting.”
