Ocean County expects to provide more than 280,000 meals to senior citizens in the New Year who are participants in the County’s congregate and home delivered meals program.

“Every day Ocean County prepares 1,100 meals in order to provide a nutritious meal for seniors, many of whom are homebound and frail,” said Freeholder Joseph H. Vicari, who serves as Chairman of Senior Services. “Of those, 127 meals are prepared by a Kosher meal provider. This program serves as a lifeline for all of our senior citizens living throughout Ocean County.”

The Ocean County Board of Chosen Freeholders at its Dec. 16 meeting is expected to approve six contracts for Community Services Inc. totaling $2,676,979 which includes one nutritional component of the County’s senior programs. A separate contract will be awarded in the New Year to Lakewood Community Services Corporation to provide Kosher meals in the New Year. Vicari said about 30,000 of the meals are part of the county’s Kosher Home Delivered Meal program.

“This County made a commitment many years ago pledging that no senior would go hungry,” Vicari said. “We have kept that promise and we will continue to make sure our seniors receive the best services possible.”

With more than 160,000 seniors calling Ocean County home, Vicari said the County operates one of the largest congregate and home delivered meals programs in the country.

“This program allows us to provide seniors with a sense of security that they will have a warm and nutritious meal delivered to their home every day,” Vicari said. “Just as important as the meal is the daily contact, knowing someone will be checking in on their well-being. That is priceless to our seniors and their families who may not be able to be with them.

“A survey of current congregate nutrition site participants shows that 72 percent are at moderate to high nutritional risk and 95 percent of home delivered meal clients are at moderate to high nutritional risk,” Vicari said. “In Ocean County we want to decrease those percentages and insure our seniors are getting a healthy meal.”

The Home Delivered Meals program is available to Ocean County residents who are 60 years of age or older and their spouse, homebound, unable to prepare their own meals and have no one available to assist them with meal preparation. Voluntary donations are encouraged to help fund the program.

“Both Community Services Inc. and Lakewood Community Services has done a great job in overseeing this program for the County,” Vicari said. “Even in bad weather, drivers and volunteers make certain seniors receive meals.”

So far, in 2015, 244,000 meals have been delivered to 4,000 clients. The average age is 81 to 85-years-old.

About 200 seniors daily attend the nutrition congregate sites for a meal.

“Our seniors have the opportunity to socialize and share a meal at any one of the eight congregate sites throughout the County,” Vicari said.

In addition to the meals, assessments, nutrition education and nutrition counseling is also provided to congregate and home delivered meals participants.

“These programs provide great benefits for our seniors, especially those who are frail and in need,” Vicari said. “It is less expensive to provide food for one-year for a senior then it is to cover the cost of a day in an emergency room.

“This program helps our seniors live independently in their homes, which helps provide a better quality of life,” Vicari said. “And our seniors deserve the best quality of life possible.”

Vicari noted that the Board of Freeholders appropriates 53 percent of the cost of the nutrition program and in 2015 an additional $250,000 was provided by the Board in order to reduce a waiting list and cover the costs of the growing program.

“Today we have no waiting list,” Vicari said. “And while state and federal money for this program continues to shrink, we know how important it is to our seniors and will continue to make every effort to assure it’s fully funded.”

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