An elderly Poplar Bluff, Mo., couple had so little money for food shortly before Christmas, they were malnourished
When their circumstances were discovered, Northside Nutrition was at the top of the list of agencies asked to help.
The center could offer warm, healthy noon meals delivered to their home, as well as food through other programs.
The Butler County location dished up more noon meals for seniors like this in the past fiscal year than any of the other 32 centers involved with the Southeast Missouri Area Agency on Aging, which covers 18 counties.
And Northside will add a new home delivery route in the next month as it prepares to continue increasing the number of people served, said administrator Tammy Kassinger.
The new route will help allow for growth among the six existing routes, which deliver to 240 people each weekday and cover about 150 miles.
Kassinger believes the center will provide 9,000 more meals from January to June than the same time last year.
"In the past four years, we have grown 80 percent," Kassinger added.
She attributes the growth to the need of seniors and disabled in the community, and a growing awareness by residents of the services available.
"My goal is community outreach, to let people know who we are and what we do," she said.
Community outreach is one of the reasons Kassinger received a Star Award at the end of 2017 from the Southeast Missouri Area Agency on Aging for Outstanding Nutrition Program Administrator.
Among the reasons she was recognized, according to the award, was a marketing campaign for the center.
The center also took a leap of faith in 2016, when it relocated to Twin Towers from a smaller location, according to the agency.
"Tammy guided her staff with a 'Can Do' positive attitude and they made it work," the agency reported.
Kassinger has also planned several successful fundraisers and sought other support for the center, according to the award. Funding for the center comes from a combination of Butler County senior tax money, state and federal funds, grants and donations.
The new delivery route will be possible because of a donation from Fellowship General Baptist Church through their Be Rich effort, a collection taken up during services around Christmas, Kassinger said.
The money will provide a new van for Northside, and the opportunity to continue expanding homebound meal delivery.
Northside served more than 100,000 meals in its last fiscal year through its dining room and the homebound program.
The center has also begun delivering more than 100 senior boxes each month, which provides additional food from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to some of the neediest residents.
The donation of a golf cart from David Odom of East Side Pharmacy now allows Kassinger to more easily deliver the senior boxes to city housing surrounding Twin Towers.
The golf car is also used from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. weekdays to provide shuttle service in the Twin Towers parking lot.
A volunteer is needed on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday each week to drive the cart.
Northside can be reached at 573-686-2074.