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February 23, 2004 |
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About Town Dave Uphoff |
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Help the Food Pantry and Senior Meals
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A group of citizens are attempting to find a suitable place to
house the local Food Pantry and to serve meals for our senior citizens.
The funding of the senior citizen meals was discontinued last October and the
meals were discontinued at St. Paul's Church.
The Minonk Senior Meals Program Committee was formed last October out of a need to provide a daily hot meal for our senior citizens. Presently, the Heritage Manor Nursing Home is preparing the meals for the homebound seniors at $3.00 per meal. However, there is a need to provide a place for those seniors who can get out and share not only a meal, but also fellowship with their fellow citizens. In addition, the Food Pantry is in need of more space. Last week, both the Senior Meals Committee and the Food Pantry Committee met with the Minonk City Council and the Minonk Township Board to request funds to help purchase the former WigWam Restaurant at the south end of Minonk to house the Food Pantry and to serve nutrition meals for senior citizens. The cost of the facility after repairs and upgrades would be $30,000. Members of the city council recommended that the group look at the former Kent Lumber Building at Sixth and Oak as a possible site. The city will assume ownership of the property next year and would offer the building to the group if it wanted to renovate it. However, after an onsite visit by city officials and committee members it was decided that the building would be too expensive to fix up. I agree. It would cost much more than the $30,000 purchase price of the former WigWam building to fix up the former Kent Lumber building. When the city assumes ownership of the property, they should throw a match on the building. The best use of that land is to develop a new mini-mall or strip mall with parking facilities. |
Ruth Steinhilber, who has been the manager of the Nutrution Meals, and Clara Fewell,
who has been involved with the Food Pantry, both deserve the praise of the
community for their efforts to provide vital services for this community.
I know that other people have been involved in the Food Pantry and the Nutrition
Meals and they deserve credit as well. However, Clara has been involved in
the Food Pantry since day one and is to be commended for her selfless service.
Other members of the Seniors Meals Program Committee are Rev. Daniel Gansch-Boythe, Pam Gansch-Boyte,
Henry Budde, Van Peters, Kathy Hamer, Bernadette Oltman and Eileen Bane.
Rev. Daniel Gansch-Boythe said that he is encouraged by the both the city's and the township's willingness to consider helping the committee. He said that currently he and some volunteers are delivering 12 meals on wheels each day. Volunteers are still needed to help deliver the meals which would require about 45 minutes of time at 11:15 a.m. In addition, he said that the committee has enough money to fund the senior meals until June. Money has been provided by personal donations as well as money from the township and a private trust. Pam Gansch-Boyte said those who wish to donate money for the senior meals or wish to help deliver meals, should contact her at 309/432-2488. Some people feel that the two groups should wait until a new community center is built at the Millennium Park north of town. However, there is no guarantee that the community center will be built anytime soon. I personally feel that the former WigWam restaurant would be a good choice to house these functions. The group has individuals who are willing to devote their time in fixing the building up so it can be used. The Minonk City Council and the Minonk Township Board should provide financial support to help purchase the former WigWam restaurant for the two groups. Much of the city's budget the past few years has been spent on improving infrastructure and buying equipment. However, now it is time to start spending money for social services that are vital to the citizens of our community. A lot of Minonk's potential growth is dependent on attracting and keeping retirees. Just as much as young people, our senior citizens need an outlet for socializing and for recreation. Providing the necessary social services for our senior citizens will help Minonk grow. |
