This holiday season, the Bozeman Senior Center will be providing meals and connection to local Bozeman seniors through its Meals on Wheels program.
"Right now, we’re serving about 85 to 100 a day. Sixty-five percent of them cannot afford even one dollar for their meal," says Michele Letendre, nutrition coordinator.
She explains how the program has been providing meals since 1970, also raising funds every year to provide gifts and holiday cheer.
"Three people were chosen by a neighborhood, and $600 of their energy bills were paid because they couldn’t afford their energy," Letendre says.
Susan Handy, a program volunteer, has been dedicating her time to Meals on Wheels for two years after convincing her daughter to get involved too.
"I said, ‘Marcy, let’s do it together, it’ll be fun. A mother-daughter thing.' And if she’s gone, I’m here and vice versa. So, we’ll always take care of our people. That was always important to us, for one of us to always be there," Handy explains.
Susan is also a member of the Gallatin Valley Newcomers Club, an organization that raises funds for local nonprofits. And this year, they helped raise over $30,000 for Meals on Wheels.
But the program goes beyond just delivering food.
"So, it’s not only the knock on the door saying ‘Meals on Wheels’, it’s also that connection— ‘how are you doing, do you need anything, have a merry Christmas,'" says Handy.
