After hearing about the long list of seniors waiting to receive Meals on Wheels in St. Johns County, Alan Bratic and ThompsonBaker Financial were inspired to make a difference. Council on Aging (COA) has announced that ThompsonBaker Financial has donated the funds necessary to remove one local senior from the Meals on Wheels waiting list for an entire year.
“When we heard that there are seniors in our community who are waiting to receive Meals on Wheels, it was very impactful,” Alan Bratic, president of ThompsonBaker Financial, explained. “We felt terrible that the elder generation in our community who have served their families, worked hard and even served our country would have to choose between being able to eat or pay for their bills, their medication or their pet food."
Inspired to make a difference, ThompsonBaker Financial made a donation of $3,640 to COA that will provide Meals on Wheels to a local senior in need for an entire year.
“We are so blessed to live in this beautiful coastal community and to have the resources,” Bratic explained. “We thought, this is doable; we need to step up.”
Meals on Wheels are freshly prepared by COA staff each day in the COA kitchen, and hand-delivered by caring volunteers directly to seniors throughout St. Johns County. In addition to nutritious meals, the program provides those with limited mobility a daily visit and an opportunity for much-needed social interaction. COA’s program also delivers pet food to recipients who have pets so that no senior will have to sacrifice their meals to feed their beloved pet companions. While government funding exists for the Meals on Wheels program, it has limitations, which result in a waiting list.
Bratic and ThompsonBaker Financial hope to inspire others in the community to join them and take action to ensure that elders in St. Johns County do not go hungry.
“We are so grateful for ThompsonBaker Financial’s generosity in coming to the aid of a senior in our community who has been patiently waiting,” said COA Executive Director Becky Yanni. “We share their hope that raising awareness about this issue will inspire other businesses and individuals to help the homebound seniors in our community who are in need.”
To learn more about COA’s Meals on Wheels program, go to coasjc.org/meals-on-wheels. To make a donation, contact Amy Robinson, COA development manager, at 904-209-3700 or arobinson@coasjc.org. Donations may also be made online at coasjc.org/donate.
