The Meals on Wheels organization in Washington, D.C., recently sent mailers to North Idaho residents soliciting donations to support the national program.

However, it's easy to keep those dollars in the community and support seniors in Coeur d'Alene, Dalton Gardens and Hayden by donating directly to Lake City Center's Meals on Wheels.

“People called and said, 'Is this where we send our money?'" Lake City Center Administrative Director Marlys Silva said Wednesday. “We don’t send out a mailer begging for money for Meals on Wheels. We depend on our community to help us. That’s the biggest thing.”

Lake City Center, a nonprofit, runs on donations and grants. Through its Meals on Wheels program, 4,000 meals are served to homebound seniors every month. That's roughly 155 individual recipients a month.

About 35 drivers each week deliver hot meals Wednesdays, with frozen meals for Thursdays and hot meals Fridays with two frozen meals to feed recipients through the weekend. Silva said one delivery day has been dropped because of a lack of funding.

“That money needs to come back to the center full circle because the price of food is outrageous,” Silva said. "I really want to get it in people’s minds, if they want to donate, they've got to send it here.”

Meals on Wheels serves seniors 60 and older who are frail or homebound because of illness or other disabilities. Each meal is prepared fresh daily by the nutrition staff at Lake City Center. The delivered meals are similar to what the center serves during its in-house lunches, dishes like liver and onions with baked potatoes and vegetables or chicken cordon bleu with veggies.

The program is about more than nutrition, Silva said. Drivers keep an eye out for safety issues while also providing a welcome moment of social interaction.

“The benefit with Meals on Wheels, we get to check on people," Silva said. "We get to see their well-being. If there’s something wrong, we’re in the forefront of that and we’ll know right away with our drivers."

Lake City Center is also in need of Meals on Wheels drivers.

“We’re always looking for volunteers and drivers and substitutes, always,” Silva said.

The Meals on Wheels need ebbs and flows throughout the holiday season as families come to visit, Silva said.

“As soon their families leave, our numbers climb again,” she said. "It just depends on what’s going on."

Call the center at 208-667-4628 for details about how to volunteer or donate. Meals on Wheels donations are also accepted through lakecitycenter.org via PayPal or checks indicating donations are for Meals on Wheels can be sent to: Lake City Center, 1916 N. Lakewood Drive, Coeur d'Alene, ID 83814.

The Post Falls Senior Center, a nonprofit that has combined with the Post Falls Food Bank, also offers home-delivered meals through its Meals on Wheels program. It serves five meals to about 65 individuals in Kootenai County each week. Its meals consist of hot, cold, frozen, dried, canned, fresh and supplemental foods prepared at the senior center and delivered by volunteers.

Call 208-773-9582 for details about how to qualify, donate or volunteer for the Post Falls Senior Center's program, donate at postfallsseniorcenter.org/donate or send donations indicating they are for Meals on Wheels to Post Falls Food Bank Senior Programs, 1215 E. Third Ave., Post Falls, ID 83854.

,    A flyer from the national Meals on Wheels organization recently went to North Idaho residents. However, by donating to Lake City Center's Meals on Wheels, those dollars stay in the community to support seniors in Coeur d'Alene, Dalton Gardens and Hayden.
   

    Lake City Center Administrative Director Marlys Silva, seen at the center Wednesday, is reminding people they can help feed local seniors when they donate to Lake City Center's Meals on Wheels program.