Since the beginning of September, Homecare Services of Dallas County has ceased operations, leaving a void of someone to provide in-home meals to senior citizens throughout the County and congregate meals in three cities.

Since Homecare’s dissolution, the Board of Supervisors has been working with Aging Resources on how to keep the meals going. Aging Resources sent out a request for proposals for meal services, and at the most recent Supervisors meeting they presented two organizations who could fulfill the County’s needs. The first was Perry Lutheran Homes, represented at the meeting by Administrator Melissa Gannon, who said they could handle the in-home meal deliveries to seniors in Perry, Bouton, Dawson, Minburn, and possibly Woodward. The second group was WesleyLife from Des Moines, which was represented by Community Nutrition Manager Bambi Press, who said they could take on those living in Adel, Waukee, Dallas Center, and Granger. Carol Schmidt, Nutrition Services Director with Aging Resources, also pointed out that the cities in southern and western Dallas County are already covered by Madison County Elderly Services.

Both Gannon and Press went over their proposals, which would provide meals from the beginning of October through the end of next June. Gannon said PLH could provide the service with $20,000 in funding from the County, while Press said WesleyLife would need $29,000 to serve their in-home meals. When it came to congregate meals, neither was completely certain their staff and resources could handle the every day program, though they promised to look into it. It was pointed out that the County has found a location for the meals in Adel, with the American Legion offering their building. There are already sites locked in for the meals in Perry and Waukee.

In the end, the Supervisors gave consensus on working with PLH and WesleyLife. They will be contracted through Aging Resources, which will be reimbursed by the County.