Mullis Center raising funds for Senior Nutrition Program

The Mullis Cen­ter sends along news about their pop­u­lar nutri­tion program.

To help respond to the increased need of acces­si­ble nutri­tion for our island’s seniors, the Mullis Cen­ter has launched a cam­paign to raise $5,000 to help with the ever-ris­ing oper­at­ing costs it takes to make its essen­tial Senior Nutri­tion pro­gram work.

The increase in the cost of liv­ing, along with the effects of iso­la­tion due to the pan­dem­ic, have left many of our island seniors vul­ner­a­ble to hunger, food inse­cu­ri­ty and social iso­la­tion. Over the course of the pan­dem­ic, the need for home deliv­ered meals through the Meals on Wheels pro­gram increased by more than 50 per­cent. We expect this need to fur­ther grow as our island’s pop­u­la­tion con­tin­ues to age in place at home.

The Senior Nutri­tion pro­gram pro­vides nutri­tious home-deliv­ered meals and friend­ly check-ins to home­bound seniors three times a week, as well as on-site lunch­es where com­mu­ni­ty mem­bers of all ages can social­ize and enjoy a meal togeth­er. Meals are by dona­tion for those age 60-plus. The Senior Nutri­tion Pro­gram helps to reduce hunger and food inse­cu­ri­ty. It also pro­motes social­iza­tion, health and well-being, and for many it will delay the onset of adverse health con­di­tions. A knock at the door by a Meals on Wheels vol­un­teer might not seem like a big deal to many of us, but to a home­bound senior it could sig­nal the arrival of the only per­son they might see all day or all week long. It brings hope. It brings health. It brings the nutri­tion and care that will com­plete­ly make their day. A knock from Meals on Wheels means nour­ish­ment for the body and soul.

The Mullis Cen­ter is rais­ing mon­ey for the Senior Nutri­tion pro­gram as part of the San Juan Island Com­mu­ni­ty Foundation’s 2022 Coun­ty Fair Giv­ing Cam­paign. Through this cam­paign, the first $1,000 in dona­tions will be matched dol­lar for dol­lar by the Com­mu­ni­ty Foun­da­tion. The Mullis Cen­ter is also eli­gi­ble for up to $2,500 in bonus grants award­ed through­out Fair Week.

To be eli­gi­ble for match­ing funds, dona­tions to the Mullis Cen­ter Senior Nutri­tion pro­gram must be made dur­ing the four days of the 2022 Coun­ty Fair, Aug. 17–20. Donors can con­tribute in per­son at the SJI Com­mu­ni­ty Foun­da­tion fair booth, on the SJICF web­site, by phone to the SJICF at 360–378-1001, or by mail­ing a check payable to the SJICF (dat­ed between Aug 17–20) with Mullis Cen­ter Senior Nutri­tion in the memo line to the Com­mu­ni­ty Foun­da­tion, PO Box 1352, Fri­day Har­bor, WA 98250. The Com­mu­ni­ty Foun­da­tion will grant the raised funds to the Mullis Cen­ter fol­low­ing the Coun­ty Fair.

The Mullis Cen­ter and its par­ent non­prof­it orga­ni­za­tion, Senior Ser­vices Coun­cil of San Juan Coun­ty, was estab­lished in 1979 to assist seniors and dis­abled adults by pro­vid­ing a spec­trum of ser­vices to meet their unique needs and enhance their qual­i­ty of life. 

You can support the San Juan Update by doing business with our loyal advertisers, and by making a one-time contribution or a recurring donation.