The woman in her 90s had been isolating during the pandemic and was rationing her food because she wasn’t able to get to the store. She had lost weight and was in a weakened condition. When she came to the attention of Scott Carver Dakota CAP Agency, she was reluctant to take help. She was proud of her past efforts to do fundraising events for organizations to help others. It took some convincing to get her to see it was her time to receive help and that she deserved it. Then the CAP Agency staff went into action to fill her kitchen with groceries.
Scott Carver Dakota CAP Agency provides a variety of programs to help older adults, including housing and energy assistance, a food shelf, chore services, SNAP outreach and meals.
Senior nutrition services since 1965
The nonprofit agency has been providing senior nutrition services to the community since the mid-60s. While agency staff run the nutrition programs, Trellis is the main funder for nutrition program expenses, along with community and participant donations. The CAP Agency provides both congregate and home-delivered meals but during the pandemic, the focus has been on home-delivered meals. They started providing frozen meals in addition to the traditional fresh meals. They plan to reopen some of the congregate meal sites soon.
According to Jackie Lara, senior director of programs, “We focus on serving moderate to high-risk older adults who have the highest needs. There are many reasons why someone may need meals. It is hugely important for the agency to be able to provide a nutritious meal when a client cannot cook or can’t afford food or does not have access to transportation.”
Volunteers are key to success
The agency’s meal sites are nearly 100% volunteer-led. According to Sarah Tormoen, senior programs manager, “Many churches coordinate meal sites, often run by long-term volunteers. Some local companies encourage their staff to volunteer during work hours. We’re always looking for additional volunteers.”
Jackie noted that in a recent survey, 70% of respondents said the meal provided by the agency was their main meal of the day.
Beyond nutrition
“Our senior nutrition program also provides social connections and does health and safety check-ins with clients,” says Sarah. “We often receive calls from social workers or other community providers asking about a mutual client who has not returned phone calls. Our volunteers and drivers know if a client hasn’t picked up their meal and they notify staff members. We’ll call the client’s emergency contact.”
The agency volunteers go the extra mile to show they care by making cards or providing holiday gift bags for clients. “Clients tell us that they appreciate having someone in their life and a friendship with someone who checks on them, especially those without friends or family nearby,” says Sarah.
Need for more funding and volunteers
When asked about challenges, Sarah and Jackie note the need for more funding and more volunteers. Recently, they have also been dealing with supply chain problems. They work to ensure that the agency is partnering with the right organizations to maximize outreach efforts and build good support networks for clients. “We are always on the outlook for people in need who might not know about us and how we can help,” says Sarah.
Scott Carver Dakota CAP Agency is a valued Trellis partner that provides an important service in our community.
