Guadalupe food program in danger

At 88 years old, Pearl Slifer doesn't get out much. So the Guadalupe resident appreciates her daily meal delivered by the Santa Maria Valley Fish Meals on Wheels.

However, earlier this month, Slifer received notice that the program, which brings a meal five days a week, would end Nov. 1 due to a lack of funds.

Now officials with the Guadalupe Senior Center have mobilized to try to find funding to keep the small program operating for the eight seniors who receive the service.

The meals provided by Fish Meals on Wheels are specially made at Marian Residence for people on medically restrictive diets.

For the recipients a small reprieve was granted Tuesday when the Guadalupe Kiwanis Club donated $1,214 to the Fish Meals on Wheels program enough to keep the service going for November and December.

“We are more than happy to do this, especially with the holidays coming up - there is no reason why our people here in Guadalupe should go without meals,” said Ron Estabillo, vice president of the Guadalupe Kiwanis Club.

Pat McCullough, director of the senior center, is grateful to the service club for the help but now she is worried about finding future funding.

“I don't know where I am going to find funds to fund this,” she said, adding that she had no warning that “the ball would drop my court.”

The only explanation McCullough says she received was a two-paragraph, unsigned letter from the Santa Maria Valley Fish Meals on Wheels.

The Oct. 6 letter states that the grant funding for the Guadalupe program has been exhausted and no further funding is expected.

“Inasmuch as we do not have available funds for your program we will not [sic] longer be able to furnish meals to Guadalupe,” according to the letter. “Effective November 1, 2006, the meal service in Guadalupe will be discontinued.”

Officials with Santa Maria Valley Fish Meals on Wheels could not be reached for comment Wednesday.

Slifer, who has been receiving meals for a couple years, is on a salt-free diet. Her son Lyle, 66, is diabetic and also receives a specially prepared meal, she said.

Slifer, who used to volunteer with Fish Meals on Wheels, said she was surprised to read that the Guadalupe service would be discontinued.

“It's a great help to us,” she said about the program, since she is disabled and her son is legally blind. She added that the food is good too.

“It's a service in two ways in that it has the person who delivers the food to check on these people who are housebound,” she added. “It serves a double need. Sometimes (the driver) is the only person they see all day.

“It's food for the body and food for the soul and food for the heart as well,” Slifer said.

If she is able to find funding, McCullough says, she would like to steer it to the Fish Meals on Wheels herself so that she can ensure that it funds the Guadalupe service and doesn't pay for meals elsewhere. The meals cost about $3.50 per person per day, she noted.

To help the Guadalupe Senior Center keep the program, call Patricia McCullough at 343-2525.

Many services offered

The Guadalupe Senior Center at 4545 10th St. offers a variety of services for seniors.

Director Patricia McCullough noted that lunches are served each day; food for low-income residents is distributed through a biweekly brown-bag program; there is a home energy assistance program; free tax preparation help; crafts; and games.

The center is planning a free, traditional Thanksgiving dinner Nov. 18 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Officials are expecting between 200 and 250 people. Eighteen turkeys are being donated as well as most of the fixings, McCullough said.

Malia Spencer can be reached at 739-2219 or mspencer@santa

mariatimes.com.