Berks Encore and local celebrities celebrated March for Meals through Berks County through their 10th Annual Meals on Wheels Celebrity Volunteer for a Day event on Wednesday, March 18. The March for Meals program is intended to bring attention to Meals on Wheels, as well as to raise awareness about the topic of senior hunger.
Berks Encore-Strausstown manager, Terry Becker, described Celebrity Meals on Wheels as a way for someone who is visible in the community to “raise awareness to spur people on to deliver Meals on Wheels.”
This year’s celebrity was Barry Bentz, Fire Chief of the Strausstown Volunteer Fire Company. The senior center’s location in the Strausstown Volunteer Fire Company Community Campus has engaged the fire company into the activities of the center.
As Becker described the relationship, “the fire company has been wonderful to me” and considers that with this additional outreach to the community “hopefully businesses will adopt a (Meals on Wheels) route and become volunteers.”
Fifty Meals on Wheels are coordinated for delivery out of Berks Encore’s Strausstown Center. The widespread delivery route encompasses the communities of Hamburg, Shoemakersville, Strausstown, Bethel, Bernville, Frystown and Shartlesville.
Fire Chief Bentz has been delivering Meals on Wheels since the Strausstown center opened more than a year ago and said that he “enjoys helping seniors.”
Bentz has been a member of the volunteer fire company for 44 years and has been chief for fifteen. As a native of Strausstown, Bentz is happy that the fire company is growing due to the new station and has more volunteers. Bentz also mentioned that the fire company is celebrating its 100th anniversary on June 12 and 13. He stated, “it’s going to be big for us. We’re not holding back!”
The Strausstown senior center has a full schedule of activities under the direction of Becker. In addition to regularly scheduled activities like gentle yoga and tai chi, aerobics, and Zumba, the center holds game days and lunches. Becker also engages speakers to deliver talks of interest to seniors that range from spirituality to Medicare topics. The center boasts a resistance training room where seniors can perform a strength training circuit for only a dollar per use.
Other than the activities, there are additional services that are available to seniors out of the Strausstown center.
Strausstown is the only Berks Encore center to have remaining opportunities for free income tax preparation. Appointments will run until April 15.
The center holds counseling from Area Agency on Aging and Medicare representatives, as well as clinics through St. Joe’s medical center of Strausstown.
Becker is also the contact for eligible seniors to receive $20.00 vouchers to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables grown in Pennsylvania, a program which Becker stated “benefits both the seniors and the PA farmers.”
Finally, a service needed by seniors which can also be found at the center is a place to provide socialization during the week. As attendee, Helen Schlappich, of Hamburg, described, she first came to the center with a friend. Now Schlappich is a regular attendee and gives her reason as, “I enjoy the people. They’re very friendly.”
For more information about the Berks Encore-Strausstown Center, contact Terry Becker at 610-488-5770.
