Milestones reminds public its meal sites are back in business

FAIRFIELD — Milestones Area Agency on Aging is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2022, and wants to remind residents that it is continuing to serve delicious and nutritious meals at its congregate meal sites and through home delivery.

Milestones is headquartered in Davenport and serves 17 counties in Southeast Iowa, including Jefferson and Henry counties. It hosts congregate meals in 30 towns, including Fairfield, Salem and Winfield.

All of its meal sites had to close during the pandemic, but its food service did not shut down, and instead switched to a delivery-only model. Most of its meals are still delivered, despite Milestones having reopened most of its congregate meal sites.

Mike Mathews, marketing coordinator for Milestones, said the agency has noticed that its meal sites are not as busy as they were before the pandemic.

“There are a variety of reasons folks are not coming back, and that could be that they are not comfortable out among the public, even if they’re vaccinated,” Mathews said. “And in some other cases, when you go a couple of years [with no congregate meals], routines change and people establish other habits.”

Mathews said 10 meal centers in Milestones’ region have not reopened since the pandemic, and he said the biggest impediment has been staffing.

“We’ve been trying to find staff for months and haven’t been able to,” he said.

He noted that the meal site in Oskaloosa has remained closed for this reason, though it has found staffing and will be opening again soon.

Marcia Shaw and Madge Schmitter, cooks who work at the meal site at the Fairfield Community Center on South Court Street, said they’ve noticed a decline in participation at the congregate meals since they resumed in-person dining last fall. Before the pandemic, the meals attracted a couple dozen residents, but today they rarely break double digits. It’s particularly unfortunate to see so few people in the building given that the Fairfield Community Center was just remodeled this past winter with the addition of a kitchenette that houses a sink, microwave and row of refrigerators.

The Fairfield site prepares meals not just for Fairfield but for a couple of neighboring towns, too. Shaw and Schmitter said that, on a typical day, they serve 30 meals in Fairfield to both in-person and at-home deliveries, plus another 40 deliveries to Mt. Pleasant and between 16-20 in Salem.

The meals are intended for those 60 years and older. There is a suggested donation of $5 per meal, though Milestones never turns anyone away. Mathews said that if a young person wants to eat a meal, such as by accompanying their parent or grandparent, they are charged the full price of the meal, which is $10.

Mathews said he hopes that, as word spreads about the meal sites reopening, more people will take advantage of them and the other services Milestones offers.

“The Fairfield meal site offers a great opportunity for folks to get out of the house and connect with their peers,” he said. “Attendees enjoy the convenience of not having to cook, but also look forward to the great conversation that happens every day.”

To make a meal reservation, residents should call Lorrie Deetz at 319-293-3789. Menus are available at the meal site or online at www.milestones.org.

To learn more about eligibility for the Home Delivered Meals program, call (855) 410-6222.

Call Andy Hallman at 641-575-0135 or email him at andy.hallman@southeastiowaunion.com