Courtney’s Take-Away: Senior Center Needs Help Now More Than Ever

The Twin Falls Senior Center is such an amazing asset to our seniors. If you have never seen it for yourself, then you are really missing out. The center serves thousands of meals each year to seniors who may not eat otherwise.

If the Senior Center does not get some financial help they could face closure. If the center were to close down there are so many who would struggle to find a meal. While I was delivering with Meals on Wheels, I was fortunate enough to meet with Bonnie, a Twin Falls senior who told me how vital the center is to her.

Bonnie has to be one of the funniest and happiest women I have met in my entire life. Unfortunately, she is pretty much homebound. She is on oxygen and lost her husband a few years ago. It is a struggle for her to cook. When we delivered her meal and sat down to talk to her, she was all smiles and incredibly grateful.

We talked about how she doesn't want to think about what she would do if the Twin Falls Senior Center wasn't there for her. She does have family in the area, but her son has a family of his own and can't always be there for her. She does appreciate the leftovers, though, when he comes over with the grandkids.

Being on oxygen and her health limits her physically quite a bit. She struggles to get around, she struggles cooking, but that doesn't stop her humor and her wit. Bonnie even expressed her love for caffeine and her Monster energy drinks she can't make it through a day without.

I personally don't want to think about what life would be like for so many seniors if they didn't have this service. Fewer and fewer people are donating, but more and more seniors need to be fed. The Twin Falls Senior Center says they don't turn anyone away. Some 84 percent of the funding for the meals these seniors receive is reliant on the community to give. Without community support, thousands of seniors could go hungry.

For information on how to donate please contact the Twin Falls Senior Center at (208) 734-5084 or go to tfseniorcenter.com.