Meals on Wheels of Rockland keeps seniors fed and cool during hot summer
The high temperatures bring added meaning to their deliveries. According to the CDC, those 65 and older are more prone to heat-related health concerns.
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News 12 stopped by Meals on Wheels of Rockland’s Senior Activity Center in Nanuet – one of its four locations in the county that are open during the week year-round.
It’s a place for seniors to socialize, get a meal and when extreme weather hits – it’s also a cooling center. At least two dozen people were there when News 12 arrived.
"It's good for mind. Good for body,” said Al Marx of Nanuet. “And good for some activities."
An important part of the organizations mission is delivering meals to seniors in their homes.
"A lot of our seniors in the county are homebound. They can't get out. They can't cook or they just can't get out,” said Kevin Hardy, the CEO and president. “So we may be the only contact they have in the course of the day."
The high temperatures bring added meaning to their deliveries. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, those 65 and older are more prone to heat-related health concerns.
“It becomes extra important as you can imagine because a lot of these people may not have air conditioning. They may not have the things they need to keep cool," said Hardy.
Meals on Wheels of Rockland expects to open a fifth senior activity center in Haverstraw later this year.
