COA readies Burnside Center to serve senior meals in January

BRANCH COUNTY — The Commission on Aging took more steps this week to provide senior meals from the Community Action Agency on Jan. 1.

The COA board recommended accepting the proposal from Milestone Senior Services for catering meals for the home-delivered and congregate meal programs at the Burnside Center starting at the beginning of the year.

County commissioners also approved A $71,900 contract with R.W. LaPine of Kalamazoo for the demolition and removal of the existing walk-in cooler and freezer at the Burnside Center. The company will then provide and install a new 18-by-9-foot outdoor walk-in cooler/freezer on the rear of the current kitchen.

The bid was the lowest of the three and provided more demolition and installation services. The COA is familiar with the company when it repaired the Burnside Center HVAC system after the renovation issues arose.

COA hired its first nutrition director, Mike Searing, on Nov. 1, who is working to refurbish the Burnside Center kitchen, which has not been used in five years, hire staff, and begin preparing the meals in the house sometime in the spring.

Duff told the county commission Milestone was aware its contract to provide meals would end when Searing was ready to take over the food service.

Milestone was the lowest cost for prepared meals at $6 and $7 each, lower than the Hillsdale Senior Center and the St. Joseph County Commission on Aging.

“Currently, Milestone Senior Services provides congregate and home-delivered meals in Kalamazoo, Calhoun and Allegan counties producing approximately 1,000 home-delivered and 400 congregate meals per day,” Duff said.

The COA received a federal grant from the Branch-St. Joseph Area Agency on Aging IIIC. There is $144,813 for home-delivered meals and $48,533 for congregate meals for the current fiscal year. It can be renewed for two more years.

In the bid, COA promised $9.96 for congregate meals and $7.86 for home delivery.

The meals are free under the grant, but the AAA suggests a $3 donation from those receiving the meals.

Prior story: Bid awarded to COACommission on Aging to return to Burnside Center to provide senior meal program

Instrumental in winning the bid was the promise by COA to tap into the senior millage approved by voters to operate Burnside spending $172,000 a year. The 0.4908 mills raise over $675,000 yearly for COA and Burnside operations.

COA promised to end the waiting list often over 100 people for the Meals-on-Wheels program when it is fully operational. The Community Action Agency, using federal block grant funds, was unable to do so in prior years.

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Searing, 41, is a 1999 Coldwater High School graduate who lives in the community and has always worked in food service. “I started out at the Community Health Center in high school in dietary. Then I went on to Ferris State, where I graduated with my hospitality degree. I worked for Bob Evans for a little bit. Then I worked for Abbott Labs in Sturgis.”

The nutrition director’s goal is, “This facility will allow us to streamline food services to the Branch County seniors. It will allow additional congregate meals to be served here with freshness and quality.” He added, “We'll be able to serve more of the residents in the home-delivered meals program as we are able to expand that service.”

Searing said the facilities in Burnside have not been used for a while. “They've taken very good care of the equipment. Facilities are great here.” Or will be as soon as the freezer/cooler is replaced.

— Contact Don Reid: dReid@Gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter: @DReidTDR.

This article originally appeared on Coldwater Daily Reporter: COA readies Burnside Center to serve senior meals in January