New ‘wheels’ for Meals on Wheels
ACCEPTING THE NEW WHEELS – Presenting the vehicle to the Meals on Wheels program are (from left) Mayor Chris Younger, Joey Spellings, owner of J&B Motors. Accepting the car on behalf of Meals on Wheels is Ms. Elizabeth Wade and Nathan Reed. (Photo by Mindy East)
More than 200,000 seniors in Tennessee are threatened by hunger and community Meals on Wheels programs provide needed nutrition as well as human contact to isolated and at risk individuals in our communities. J&B Motors of Dyer and Greenfield have donated a vehicle to the City of Dyer for use in the Meals on Wheels Program. The City of Dyer, partnering with the Northwest Tennessee Human Resource Agency, the Northwest Tennessee Development District, and the Area Agency on Aging and Disability, provide Meals on Wheels to vulnerable seniors in the Dyer area. The Dyer Meals on Wheels program delivered more than 2,500 meals in the past year.
Joey Spellings with J&B Motors said, “We’re so glad to help out the City with the Meals program. We realize how many people this program can help and when we heard there was trouble with the old Meals car, we knew we had to do something.”
Dyer Mayor Chris Younger thanks Spellings and J&B Motors, “Joey was right there when we needed him. I’m so grateful for businessmen like him in our community as well as businesses that are willing to invest in our community and to help us help our seniors.”
James Moore, Interim Director of the Nutrition Program at NWTHRA, “The nutrition program is grateful for valuable partners like the City of Dyer and is grateful to local businesses like J&B Motors who support our mission of making sure seniors get the nutrition they need.”
The City of Dyer contributes to the nutrition program at NWTHRA and provides transportation and fuel to the local meal delivery driver. Through the years, most local churches have contributed to the program through the City, but that’s not the case any longer. Dyer City Recorder Nathan Reed said, “For a long time, churches contributed monthly, whether that be by special offering or budgeted amount. Now, only one church in Dyer contributes and we’re grateful to the Dyer First United Methodist Church for their ongoing support.”
From July 2016 through June 2017, the city received just over $1,800.00 in contributions to support the meals program. Delivering the more than 2,500 meals in the Dyer area cost more than $5,400 – which included significant repairs to the old vehicle and fuel. Reed said, “We’re hoping this new vehicle is more reliable and will require less maintenance. Joey has been so generous.” He continued, “We’re hoping contributions increase and we’re able to serve more seniors in our community.”
If you, your church, club, or community organization would like to contribute to the Meals on Wheels program in Dyer, please contact City Hall at (731) 692-3767.
