Free meals for seniors

Seniors around the county will be able to take advantage of the Crook County Senior Services’ meal program this month completely free of charge, thanks to a donation from the Powder River Foundation.

“The Powder River Foundation contacted me this week and they have given us a grant to pay for seniors’ meals for the month of December,” says Jenna Ellsbury, Program Director.

“We still have to pay our portion, so we are still using the state and federal funds, but for the seniors themselves it’s a suggested donation of $4 per meal and they are covering that.”

The offer does not only apply to seniors who have used the program in the past.

“They gave us a little extra, so if you’re not a regular that’s fine – I want you to come on down,” Ellsbury says.

If you are concerned about potential exposure to COVID-19, you can still access a meal without entering a senior center.

“Because of COVID-19, we’re still doing all the COVID-19 restrictions with social distancing, temperature checks, four to a table and [so on], but we are also doing curbside delivery so if people don’t want to come in, that’s perfectly fine,” Ellsbury says.

Meals can either be eaten at a senior center, picked up at the curbside or delivered to your home. To take advantage of the meal service, simply call by 10 a.m. on the morning you would like your meal so you can be placed on the list.

Sundance residents should call 283-1710, Hulett residents should call 467-5743 and residents of Moorcroft, Pine Haven or the county should call 283-1711. If you have any questions, feel free to call Ellsbury at 283-1711.

“It’s not just Sundance and Hulett, it’s for the entire county,” Ellsbury stresses. “If you’re outside an eight-mile radius, we do have to deliver it frozen as that’s just the way the regulations are. If it’s inside the eight-mile radius, you get hot meals.”

The donation will cover over 1000 meals, which is close to the typical number served over the course of a month.

“This is a full dietician-approved meal,” she says. “I want our seniors to take advantage of it, and I want them to take advantage of it safely, so we can do it one of several ways.”