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Salisbury Assisted Living Residents Love to Give Assistance, Too

Several years ago the popular catch-phrase “It takes a village to raise a child” raced through our society and forged many partnerships in support of programs to help strengthen families.  Working in the assisted living industry and serving on the board of directors of Meals on Wheels, I often see the same need for partnerships in meeting the needs of senior adults in our community of Salisbury, North Carolina.

No matter what a person’s age, we all need relationships and connections with people.  In addition, as we age, we often develop greater dependence on others to stay healthy and active.  Meals on Wheels offers safety checks, smiling faces of volunteers, and nutritious meals to clients helping with these needs.  The agency also offers nearly 1,000 volunteers an avenue to care for others – meeting not just the nutrition and socialization needs of clients, but also the needs of volunteers to serve others.

Salisbury Assisted Living Residents Love to Give Assistance, Too

As the Executive Director of Carillon Assisted Living of Salisbury, two Wednesdays per month I hear our residents buzzing throughout the building, “It’s Meals on Wheels day!”  On these days, we load several residents into our Carillon van and off they go to pick up meals for their delivery route. Some stay on the van during the trip, while others take meals to the doors of Meals on Wheels clients.  However, they ALL feel like they’re giving back to our community, something that studies show contribute to longer and healthier lives.

In addition, I am proud to have been a founding member of the organization “REACH” – an acronym for Rowan Education & Advocacy for Choices in Healthcare.  Five years ago several of us working in senior adult industries in the Salisbury area recognized the need to develop stronger relationships and partnerships to better serve our seniors.  This network of senior providers, of which Meals on Wheels is a member, has been key to connecting seniors with important resources in Rowan County.  

Meals on Wheels actively promotes and depends on partnerships between local agencies, connects people with one another, and provides food to people who otherwise may not get proper nutrition.  So, if it takes a village to care for seniors, Meals on Wheels helps our “villagers” join forces and keep our Salisbury community strong.

–Wendy Livengood, Executive Director, Carillon Assisted Living of Salisbury

Posted in Resident and Community Life, Resources, Sage Stories Tagged , , on January 10, 2014

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