Community center providing wellfare checks, meal delivery

Seniors, along with people who have chronic lung disease, serious heart conditions or compromised immune systems are among the most at-risk groups for developing serious complications from COVID-19. To lessen their chance of exposure, some local seniors are choosing to remain at home and rely on meal delivery or assistance from healthier family members and friends to run errands or fetch supplies. Since the start of the coronavirus outbreak, the Bigfork Community Center has seen an uptick in Meals on Wheels subscribers — and volunteer delivery drivers.

“Our numbers are up from people who are afraid to go to supermarket,” said Rocky Feckete, site manager for the Bigfork Community Center. “I probably got four, five new Meals on Wheels [customers] since this started. Considering how small a thing we are, that’s a pretty big jump.”

The Meals on Wheels program that operates out of the community center is now up to 19 participants. While Feckete said numbers have been trending upward on the whole, she’s also received a few calls from customers wishing to cancel their service.

In addition to serving as the hub for Bigfork’s Meals on Wheels program, the center is conducting welfare checks by phone and has resources available to help those in need.

“If they’re in dire straights or something, give us a call,” Feckete said. “I have no problem going and picking something up at the grocery store for someone.”

Community center social coordinator Tanya Dowling is in the process of calling each one of the center’s members, along with anyone who has eaten a meal there in the past year-and-a-half, to see how they’re doing and if they need any help.

“They just get lonely or maybe their spouse has passed on … and they don’t want to reach out and complain, but if you reach out to them, they’re so happy. It just makes their day,” she said. “So far everybody’s actually doing pretty good.”

Dowling said she tries to keep the mood light when she makes her calls, offering a funny story or joke to keep the residents’ spirits up. Dowling has also passed on information for those who are computer savvy about free online tours to zoos and museums, ebooks and other digital entertainment resources. The majority of folks she’s made contact with thus far have reported that they’re well stocked with food and supplies and many have family or friends checking in on them.

Sandra Lonon is also assisting with the community center’s outreach. Due to an autoimmune disorder, Lonon made the decision to isolate herself at home well before Gov. Steve Bullock’s stay at home order. Even so, she wanted to find a way to be useful to her community in this time of need.

“Being at home, there’s not a whole lot I can do in terms of being able to help in the community,” Lonon said. “One of the things that I can do is I can make phone calls.”

Locals who are in need of assistance obtaining groceries or other necessities are asked to call the Bigfork Community Center at (406) 837-4157. ■