STUART – Council on Aging Martin County’s annual Summer Sendoff will add a new feature to its celebration this Aug. 27 – a ribbon-cutting for a specially-outfitted Meals on Wheels vehicle.

Thanks to a challenge grant from the United Way Foundation of Martin County and the generous participants at COA’s Pep Rally Gala in February, the Council on Aging Martin County has purchased a new Meals on Wheels truck.

The official ribbon-cutting will take place during an event billed as “the Ultimate Staycation.”

In the air-conditioned comfort of the Kane Center on Salerno Road, Summer Sendoff guests will enjoy light fare and interesting drinks in a casual atmosphere. It will be a perfect blend of professional networking with support for an incredible mission.

The fun starts at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 27, and continues until 7:30 p.m.

Everyone who attends and donates $20 for a ticket will be entered into a drawing for a chance to win a $400 gift card to the Hutchinson Shores Resort & Spa. Donations will go to the Meals on Wheels program.

“We love welcoming the community to the Kane Center,” said Council on Aging Martin County CEO Karen Ripper. “It’s a perfect spot to meet new friends, make new contacts, and refresh relationships after the heat of the summer. And there is no better cause than the Meals on Wheels program.”

Meals on Wheels provides hot, noontime meals for Martin County seniors who are unable to shop or cook for themselves. A dedicated team of volunteers delivers more than 500 meals each weekday, bringing both a hot, healthy meal, a warm smile, and a wellness check.

The volunteers communicate with care navigators at COA if they see any client issues that need to be addressed.

“We’re deeply grateful to the United Way Foundation Board of Directors,” Ripper said. “The new truck will help our dedicated team of volunteers to deliver a nourishing daily meal to homes throughout Martin County and to four Senior Dining Centers throughout the county.

“It will keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold, and give us reliable transportation to serve our seniors.”

The Council on Aging Martin County is the only Meals on Wheels provider in the county. The program depends, in large part, on generous donations from the community.

To register for the summer sendoff or to learn about sponsorship opportunities, visit coamartin.org/summer

About the Council on Aging Martin County

For seniors, their families, and caregivers, the Council on Aging Martin County is their trusted and comprehensive hub for senior resources. We work with the community to reduce anxiety, depression, loneliness, and hunger. Together, we help seniors live a safer, healthier, and happier life.

From our Adult Day Club, Day Primary Care Center, case management, and memory enhancement programming, to our nutrition and exercise classes, games to improve memory, concerts and social events, the Council on Aging’s Kane Center on Salerno Road is a beehive of activities.

Services also take to the road – like Meals on Wheels, providing a hot meal and a warm smile tomore than 580 homebound and needy Martin County senior residents in their home each day, or Senior Dining Centers at locations throughout the county in Stuart, Jensen Beach, Indiantown and Hobe Sound.

The Elder Care Mobile Outreach Bus brings knowledgeable and compassionate staff directly to seniors in local neighborhoods.

For 51 years, the Council on Aging Martin County has been working tirelessly to inspire a community that embraces, uplifts and encourages seniors to maintain lives of quality and purpose.

Stay healthy. Be active. Eat well. Get help when you need it from the Council on Aging Martin County. Please visit us in person, online at coamartin.org, or on social media, and learn more about the many services of the Council on Aging Martin County. Our staff and volunteers are ready and eager to help.