The Northside Nutrition Center board honored long-time employee Andre Brown on his birthday Thursday, with the gift of a 2007 Hyundai Limited Entourage van.
“This is going to be for his personal use,” explained Jim Ward, board member and former director of the Bread Shed, another organization in Poplar Bluff that assists in feeding the community.
“This is for his dedication of 18 years to the center,” explained Ward.
He further praised Brown, saying, “Over the years we’ve had multiple directors, but he (Brown) has been the constant driving force. He’s a blessing to us. He holds all this together.”
Brown’s daughter Pate has special needs and requires much care and many trips to St. Louis to see doctors, surgeons and specialists. The van, Brown said, will now allow him to make those trips to St. Louis with his child safely.
Brown explained his old van had mechanical problems, “the motor (had a miss) and I had it checked out, but just couldn’t figure out what was wrong with it.”
He explained he had hit a deer at one point and the van was no longer reliable, “so I got closer to God with every trip we made to St. Louis.”
Brown expressed his gratitude, stating that the center has been a blessing to him, allowing him to balance work and family responsibilities.
“They let me bring my kid to work in the morning at 5:30. Let me go back home, then come back to work,” Brown explained. “This week I had to bring my daughter to work Monday and Tuesday all day.”
“I’m blessed, this is definitely going to help me, I’m very happy,” said Brown.
According to Tammy Harper, the NNC board president, the center’s history dates back to 1963 when it started as the senior citizen club, offering various activities for seniors. Harper mentioned finding records from Oct. 24, 1963, showing a balance of $6.03 for the senior citizen club. In 1974, the club evolved into the Northside Nutrition Center, starting in the basement of Pleasant Hill Missionary Church.
On Nov. 2, 1978, the center joined forces with the Butler County Council on Aging, and shortly after, the Meals on Wheels program was established. It eventually moved to a location at 1450 Garfield on Feb. 3, 1983, and then on May 9, 2016, NNC moved into the Twin Towers, where it currently resides.
The Meals on Wheels program, according to Harper, goes beyond food delivery, as it ensures the well-being and safety of seniors.
“Our employees and volunteers are always looking out for seniors. Just recently a senior was found lying on the floor where he had been since Friday evening. Our delivery person found him on Monday and called 911 and stayed with him until the EMT arrived,” recounted Harper. “The program is more than just a hot meal.”
She explained the center has now expanded its operations, delivering around 500 meals daily across eight routes, covering a total of 200 miles each day to reach homebound seniors. Last year alone, they delivered 118,968 meals.
Harper stated the community has always shown strong support for the center. Among those are members of the Hogg family, with mother Helen Hogg playing a vital role early on, while her son, Roger Hogg, continues her legacy by serving on the board of directors.
NNC board members sang the praises of Brown after presenting him with the van, describing him as a dedicated, kind and hardworking individual.