Douglas Blvd. delivers meals to senior citizens

"Feed His People" is the mobile meal program at Douglas Boulevard UMC, Midwest City. Janet Fryar steers a cart of bread.

Generosity is feeding the success of a meal delivery program, for senior adults, offered by Douglas Boulevard UMC in Midwest City.

Last fall, the church applied for a grant, to address reports of state cutbacks in senior nutrition programs. The church already had in place a free meal program, in which about 150 people were served dinner once a week. The new idea was to deliver meals twice a week to senior citizens.

Food coordinator Donna Bassham was thrilled when the church was granted $33,900 from the Midwest City Hospital Authority in the spring.

"The first week we were in operation, a reporter from Eastword newspaper came out and did a front-page feature on the new program," said Pastor Jeannie Himes. Representatives from a local corporation, which chose to remain anonymous, read the article and donated new commercial appliances for the church kitchen: an oven, freezer, and double refrigerator, valued at almost $10,000.

Douglas Boulevard volunteers now deliver over 100 meals each Tuesday and Friday to seniors in the Midwest City area. All summer, members of the youth group worked side-by-side with adults in the church to cook, package, deliver, and clean up. Rev. Himes said the church receives calls of thanks every week from meal recipients.