Madison County Senior Center is asking the community for funds to help feed seniors.
Melissa Hope, operations manager at the center, oversees the delivery of approximately 100 meals every day to homebound seniors in the county.
In July, the county’s number of seniors who needed delivered meals grew to more than 100.
Hope attributes the growth to the rising prices of groceries and increasing Rexburg population.
“We’ve been able to always have the funds that we needed, but with the growing need and the economy right now, it’s kind of put us in a place where we need to now ask our community for donations,” Hope said.
The operations manager is encouraging the community to pitch in through monetary donations on the center’s website. People have the option to donate funds for one week’s-worth of meals or one month’s-worth.
Hope said the community has already increased its support through these donations and volunteer work.
She also plans to organize food drives in January to gather specific items for the senior center.
“We have had an overwhelming response to people wanting to come and help at the senior center, and that is why we decided to organize these food drives, because … the costs of food have just gone up so much,” she said.
The senior center’s need for support will rise as prices and needs rise, Hope said.
However, she is confident the community will step up in helping the center feed local seniors.
“I feel like we’re in the process of waking up a sleeping giant,” Hope said. “I feel that as we ask and as we organize, this community is going to support us in a phenomenal way.”