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The George B. Todd Fund of the Mid-Shore Community Foundation has made a $10,000 grant to the Maintaining Active Citizens, Inc. (MAC). The grant will be used toward the purchase of a hot meals truck which will deliver meals to seniors in Dorchester County.
Delmarva Community Services is the MAC subcontractor in Dorchester County which runs the Meals on Wheels program. Their services are stretched thinly through out the county providing hot meals 4 days a week at their Senior Centers in Cambridge and Hurlock. On Wednesdays, a hot meal is provided at the center in Secretary.
Meals are delivered to those seniors who are homebound, frail and elderly. The need for these meals is real, and many rely heavily on delivery service. But many live in outlying areas making delivery difficult and in some instances, unsafe.
“Regulations require that hot meals be maintained at a specific temperature which limits the distance they can be safely transported,” reports Michael Foster, site coordinator for senior programs for Delmarva Community Services in Cambridge. “This new truck will allow delivery through out the county, especially to the southern corners.”
“Currently, we have five volunteers who deliver 45 meals a day,” says Joyce Coyne, a board member with MAC. “Sometimes we also need to deliver frozen meals to tide our clients over until the next hot meal can arrive.” The new truck will have hot and cold compartments.
The local board of MAC, Inc. began fundraising in early 2006 and they have gathered over $26,000 towards the purchase of the specialized truck. They need $10,000 more to make it a reality.
“We are so close! This new truck will help so many people,” MAC board member, Audrey Jackson excitedly reports. “These meals provide the nutrition that our older, more vulnerable, citizens desperately need.”
The Todd Fund of the Mid-Shore Community Foundation was established by long-time Dorchester County resident, George B. Todd. The Fund is dedicated to improving the lives of Dorchester County residents and makes grants to a wide range of projects and causes.
“We are very pleased to be able to help with the purchase of this truck,” says Dave Tolley, an advisor of the Todd Fund. “It is exactly how Mr. Todd would like to see his money used.”
The Mid-Shore Community Foundation is the steward of 169 philanthropic funds; including donor advised funds like The Todd Fund, scholarship funds, and non-profit agency endowment funds. The Foundation strives to deliver personalized philanthropic services, local expertise, community knowledge and meaningful grant awards in the 5 counties of the mid-shore community.
For more information about the MAC hot truck or the Todd Fund of the Mid-Shore Community Foundation please call 410-820-8175. For information about the hot meals program at Delmarva Community Services, please call 410- 221-1920.
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