OLD SAYBROOK/LYME/OLD LYME — The Estuary Council of Seniors, Inc. (ECSI) announced last Thursday that, although the senior center building will remain closed through the end of April, the organization will continue providing Meals on Wheels uninterrupted. A Grab and Go service was also introduced for seniors who are not homebound, but who are self-isolating and avoiding crowded grocery stores.
As it responds to this unprecedented situation, ECSI is nearing capacity with a major influx of new clients. The number of seniors using the Meals on Wheels program has doubled in the last two weeks, rising from 100 clients a day to 200 clients a day. The Grab and Go service is providing meals for an additional 50-75 clients.
ECSI’s Executive Director Stan Mingione says that providing this critical nutrition service will remain a priority despite the difficulties. He explains, “Encouraged to stay at home, we are experiencing a wave of homebound seniors who may not know where their next meal will come from. Our communities are counting on us. We remain committed to serving as many seniors as possible.”
ECSI has also begun assembling shelf-stable meals to provide to Meals on Wheels clients. These meals will give every current client one to two weeks’ worth of meals in the event deliveries are interrupted due to an emergency.
This project led to a recent Facebook campaign to collect donations from the community. ECSI says that the response and the general support it has received from the communities it serves have been energizing for the remaining staff, who are still on site working tirelessly to keep up with the growing demand.
The ECSI serves the towns of Lyme and Old Lyme, along with Chester, Clinton, Deep River, Essex, Killingworth, Old Saybrook, and Westbrook.
For more information on ECSI’s meal program or if you have a question, call 860-388-1611, visit www.ecsenior.org ,and/or the Estuary Facebook Page at Estuary Council of Seniors, Inc.