ROANOKE, Va. – Some local seniors who are homebound or don’t have someone to go to the store for them don’t have the supplies they need for this difficult time. That’s why the Local Office on Aging is asking for your help.
LOA serves approximately 14,000 seniors in the counties of Roanoke, Botetourt, Craig and Alleghany and the cities of Roanoke, Salem and Covington. The deliver a quarter of a million services annually.
Ron Boyd, president and CEO of this region says their priority is gathering and then delivering emergency food bags, meals on wheels and supplies like toilet paper, gloves and hand sanitizer, but they can’t do it alone.
LOA is asking for the community to give a monetary donation so staff and volunteers can do the shopping.
LOA is also looking for people to donate items like this.
- Canned meats
- Canned fruits
- Canned vegetables
- Peanut butter
- Pasta and soups
- Breakfast bars
- Instant Carnation Breakfast Essentials
- Toilet paper
- Gloves
- Hand sanitizer
- Masks
“Our emergency food pantry is our most need now, we’re trying to get emergency food bags into every home. We’ve been doing that for about three weeks and pretty soon we’re going to have to start over because it looks like it’s going to be a long term thing,” said Boyd.
If giving money or food isn’t an option, the LOA is also looking for volunteers.
Boyd said they are taking extra precautions to make sure seniors are served and volunteers are protected in the process.
“We’ve had to adjust a little bit trying to protect them. Of course, our volunteers are wearing masks and gloves, with meals on wheels, we’re still trying to have that contact at a distance because the well-check, the visit, means as much, even more to them sometimes than the meal.”
You can fill out the volunteer application online.
To make an online donation click here. LOA is also taking mail donations.