By Karen Gleason
The 830 Times
City council members recently heard an update on the city’s nutrition program for elderly residents, with Mayor Al Arreola pledging to lobby for improvements to the building where the program is housed.
Nutrition Director Josie Balderas gave an update on the city’s nutrition program for the elderly during the council’s Oct. 10 meeting.
“The mission of the nutrition program is to improve the quality of life for the elderly in our community by encouraging and providing a sense of community among its participants. In an effort to accomplish this goal, a variety of social activities are offered on a regular basis, playing a crucial role in the social and mental wellbeing of the elderly,” Balderas told the council.
She went over a PowerPoint presentation, “Nutrition and Social Services for the Elderly,” with the council.
“So what we provide there at the center is a congregant meal for the elderly there at the center, and we also provide home-delivered meals for those that are homebound. Now in order to qualify for our program, all they have to do is be 60 years of age or older. We also provide transportation for those who can’t come to the center on their own,” Balderas said.
She noted the center also provides a support system for its clients.
“And what that is, if they have a letter they don’t understand, any reading or writing they need help with, copies, anything they need help or assistance with, we offer that for them,” Balderas said.
She also told the council the center offers a variety of activities for the elderly who go there.
“The activities that we have are similar to what most of the senior centers in our region have, including pool playing, loteria, and, of course, we do have a TV there for them and we do play music every day for them because if there’s no music, they’re not happy,” Balderas said.
She also went over how meals are planned at the center.
“Our menus are approved by a registered dietician. We are currently working on perhaps getting new menus. The menus that we currently provide have been there since 2017, so we are working on hiring a dietician, not only for Del Rio, but for the whole region, so we’re looking into that,” Balderas said.
She also reviewed the center’s funding sources, which include Middle Rio Grande’s Area Agency on Aging, which is the program’s major source of funding.
Other funding sources include the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Department of Aging, the Texas Department of Agriculture, which funds the home-delivered meal program; as well as funds from the city of Del Rio and Val Verde County.
Balderas said some monies come from program participants.
“We don’t ask them to donate, but they can voluntarily donate to the program for the services they get, and what we do with that money that we get from them, we actually provide services for more clients. We can’t use that money to buy anything other than to provide anything other than meals for other clients,” she said.
She said no client is ever turned away because a client is unable to donate.
“Our current participation is between 35 and 45 daily clients, but we do have more than 100 clients registered just to come and eat there at the center,” Balderas said.
She said the program also provide home-delivered meals to 270 clients.
Balderas then asked if council members had any questions.
Councilwoman Alexandra Falcon Calderon said she had a comment.
After thanking Balderas for the presentation, “I go there. You all see me there. You see me there visiting. (In your presentation) you left out other entities that go and provide entertainment and other resources that they can look at, so you all do that extra, and it’s important that that’s mentioned. Not too long ago, you all had UMC (United Medical Centers) there, WIC (Women, Infants and Children) was in there. So thanks for that.
“When you mentioned a hundred people (are registered), and you’re all at 35 or 40 (daily), have you all ever done a survey of why you have that amount, why they don’t go?” Calderon asked.
“Some of the reasons are, people have other things to do, and on a regular basis, we enroll one or two new people every day, so at the end of the month, we sometimes have 10 new registered clients,” Balderas replied, although she admitted not all of those who initially sign up for the program come back on a regular basis.
“Some of our clients, after COVID, they just did not want to come back, so we did continue providing services to them by offering that home-delivered meal. Of course, they did have to qualify, and the majority did,” she added.
Balderas said she conducted a recent survey dealing with clients’ opinion of the services provided at the center, and she said most clients indicated they were happy with the services.
“A few don’t like the menus, but as I said, that’s something we’re working on right now,” Balderas said.
Calderon noted neither Balderas nor members of her team create the menus, but must follow state guidelines, and Balderas said she was correct.
Mayor Pro-tem Steve Webb added he understands the television set is fairly small and joked that he seemed to remember the mayor offering the television in his office for the center.
“Take it; I can’t get the Disney channel on it,” Arreola joked back.
Calderon said she understood a member of the public had donated a pool table to the center last year.
Balderas said the city has purchased the pool table, but a member of the public had volunteered to have the pool table refurbished.
“They now like that pool table better. I’m not a pool player, but it has something to do with the material on the surface,” Balderas said.
Webb added any member of the public who feels they may qualify for the program can go by the Joe Ramos Center and sign up.
“It’s for anyone, 60 years of age or older, and for the spouse, regardless of age,” Balderas said.
“I’ll be over,” Webb joked.
Councilman J.P. Sanchez and Arreola thanked Balderas and her staff for their hard work.
Councilwoman Ernestina “Tina” Martinez noted Balderas has worked at the center for many years, and asked Balderas how long it has been been.
“Thirty-one years,” Balderas replied.
Arreola, who said he has visited the center, noted the current council will have to look at improvements to the Joe Ramos Center, where the nutrition program is housed.
“Your kitchen is going to be number one. I think that’s the area we have to look at first. You do miracles with what you have, and God bless you for what you do, but I think if you had a great improvement there, everything would taste a little better,” Arreola said.
Arreola said if the city can’t find a new building in which to house the program, he would like to see the current facility renovated and upgraded.
“It should be a good environment for our elderly to enjoy,” Arreola said.
“It’s on our list, mayor,” City Manager John Sheedy said.
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