Meal Packs Offered For Seniors at Grab-and-Go Sites

Seniors in Montgomery County can get frozen meal packs at “grab and go” locations and through delivery. 

The Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Montgomery County Recreation (MCR) and Jewish Council for the Aging started offering the meal packs on March 18, according to a statement from the county. The service is conducted through the county’s Senior Nutrition Program, which normally offers a sit-down hot lunch at various senior centers, with some opportunity for delivery. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the program is offering the grab and go system and limited delivery. Social distancing is a main pillar of guidance in slowing the spread of the illness, and older people are particularly vulnerable. 

Despite the fact that recreation and senior centers are closed, @MoCoDHHS and @MoCoRec are serving meals to seniors in need. Learn more about this innovative work: https://t.co/MZTWUFzdqm #MoCo #COVID19 #StayHome pic.twitter.com/PyfKMDxq0u

— Montgomery County MD (@MontgomeryCoMD) March 31, 2020

“In light of the recent COVID-19 outbreak and the mandate to close our centers, we are converting from our popular congregate meal program – where people come to our centers for socialization and nutritionally balanced meals– to this new model,” said Acting Chief of the DHHS’s Aging and Disability Services Odile Brunetto.

The meal packs include seven different entrees, seven milk cartons and a mix of fruit and bread products. The food is diabetes-friendly. 

Residents must be over 60 to be eligible, or be a spouse of a participant or a person with a disability living with a participant. With increasing demand, meals can’t be guaranteed for everyone, the statement says. Names will be put on a waiting list if there aren’t enough meal packs. 

Residents can contact one of these senior centers to register and be assigned a location. Participating locations are the Damascus Senior Center, Holiday Park Senior Center, Schweinhaut Senior Center, North Potomac Senior Center and White Oak Senior Center.

For spanish assistance: Dolors Ustrell-Roig at 240-460-2236.
For Chinese assistance: Qi (Adele ) Hu at 240-994-9097.

About Maryam Shahzad

Maryam is a reporter with Montgomery Community Media. She graduated from the University of Maryland in 2019 with a bachelor's degree in broadcast journalism. Previously, she was an intern with MCM. She can be reached at mshahzad@mymcmedia.org or on Twitter @maryam_mcm.

View all posts by Maryam Shahzad