Survey: Should Meals on Wheels roll east?
By Scott Nicholson
nicholson@wataugademocrat.com

Watauga County is exploring the need for a community center in the eastern part of the county while expanding its “Meals on Wheels” program in that direction.

Earlier this year, the county commissioners had discussed a possible third community center for the eastern portion of the county to augment the Western Watauga Community Center in Cove Creek and the Lois E. Harrill Senior Center in Boone. In conjunction with surveys seeking input for a new comprehensive plan, the county is soliciting input on the need for more senior services across the county.

Angie Boitnotte, Watauga County Project on Aging director, said questionnaires on senior services are being mailed along with community surveys. While no decision has been made, Boitnotte said there might be gaps that the county doesn’t know about, particularly in the home-delivered meals program. “This is exploratory, to see if there’s a desire for more services,” Boitnotte said. “There may be other areas we need to grow in.”

The county started a Meals on Wheels route to the eastern portion of the county in early September, currently serving about eight clients. The route goes down U.S. 421 to Deep Gap, and Boitnotte said the route has the capacity to handle more stops. Meals are prepared in the kitchen at the Harrill Center, and heated meal caddies help keep the food at a safe temperature during delivery. The caddies hold sixteen meals, so the route can expand to handle the need.

“We can take more home-delivered meals,” Boitnotte said. “We’re not full at this point.”

One of the goals of the survey is to find out whether the county should build or open a new center, complete with a full-service industrial kitchen. That would depend on the number of miles the meal routes would cover, as food must be maintained at a minimum safe temperature to meet health regulations.

Currently, the county delivers about 140 meals a day. Volunteers are sought and should be available for about two hours for meal delivery. Scheduling is flexible and mileage reimbursement is available. For more information on home-delivered meals or to volunteer, call Diane Williams at (828) 265-8090.