The majority of senior citizens in the Seymour area do not want the mealsite to move. But last summer, Bonne, from the county would not allow us to get the birth months of those on the meal routes. For years Kailhofer's Greenhouse has donated flowers to the mealsite to give out during the birthday month of those in the meal program. I called Bonne in mid-August last year to see if we could just get the birth month as we do not need the day or year. She still felt giving out the birth month would violate privacy issues.
Bonne ended up stating she wanted complete separation of the mealsite program and the Senior Citizens of Seymour and Vicinity. She has since not allowed meal route drivers to deliver any flowers.
1) The senior citizens have paid for the lights, heating, cleaning and telephone at the site.
2) The seniors are providing the steam table and other furniture in the center.
How are you going to separate the senior citizens from the meal program when the senior citizens are the ones the program is supposed to serve?
The birthdays let the senior citizens know they are not forgotten. Socialization is an important part of the meal program.
1) The senior citizens had their first meeting on February 9, 1977.
2) At the second meeting it was decided to incorporate as a non-profit organization, Senior Citizens of Seymour and Vicinity.
3) On February 6, 1978 they had their first meal at the Junior High School.
4) Senior citizens averaged 50 on-site meals, going as high as 100+ meals per day.
5) Walter Muehl was able to get state and federal grants and the seniors held bake sales, craft sales and got into refunding to earn the rest of the funds needed to build a mealsite.
6) The mealsite was moved into the Walter Muehl Senior Center, attached to the Good Shepherd Home on May 1, 1981.
Recently the county changed the phone number for the mealsite. I have not seen any public notice of this other than on the monthly menu. Now I have heard the county is cutting back on the numbers on the meal routes. All in the name of saving taxes, but my taxes have not gone down and I live in a part of the county that does not have home delivered meals. I think my taxes will just go to help Appleton programs.
I also help out at a mealsite in Waupaca County and their programs are much better. We just started a birthday flower program there.