The Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC) of Iowa County has accepted the help of Hidden Valley Community Church to raise funds for the “Senior Nutrition Program.” The timing is great as the month of March is National Nutrition Month.
The ADRC Senior Nutrition Program is huge for people who are homebound or lack caregiver services from family or others. The delivery of a balanced, tasty meal and the check-in by someone is a wellness check. Many times, the delivery person is the only person they see for several days per week. This all means that it keeps people in their homes and out of a facility much longer. SWWRPC has projected the Iowa County 65+ population to increase by 708 from 5,467 in 2025 to 6,175 in 2030.
Government funding and collected funds from participants both fall short for funding the meal program; the meal program needs our help. The Hidden Valley Community Church, for the month of March, is raising funds for home-delivered meals. The Hidden Valley Church, every month, has a different Monthly Serving Focus. Your donation is tax-deductible and will stay in Iowa County. If you do not attend Hidden Valley Church, you can safely, securely, and comfortably donate at the website, hiddenv.com, find the “Give Now” spot, and then click on the “Fund” where you will find the Dodgeville Monthly Serving Focus. You will receive a statement if you leave contact information. In March, the donation you make will be appreciated by qualified meal recipients who live in Iowa County.
All of the Senior Nutrition Program meals are prepared at the Iowa County Law Enforcement Center in Dodgeville. The meals are balanced and prepared specifically for the people served. These meals are not, as some say, “Jail Rations.” The menu is in the News & Views or on the iowacountywi.gov website. The meals are bulk delivered to Linden and Hidden Valley Church. They are the two meal sites where home-delivered meals are packed and delivered. The home-delivered meals are the financially challenged part of the program.
All donations made at hiddenv.com in March stay local to help fund the home-delivered Senior Nutrition Program meals for all qualified homebound seniors in Iowa County. Linden meal site packs meals to be delivered to Avoca, Cobb, Highland, Hollandale, and Mineral Point. The Hidden Valley Church congregate meal site also packs meals to deliver in Arena, Barneveld, Ridgeway, and Dodgeville. The menu for the program is pinned at the Aging and Disability Resource Center of Iowa County Facebook page.
If you are looking to give back to a program that you could need in the future, now is the time to help. Financial aid to the ADRC Senior Nutrition Program is only one. Drivers to deliver meals, especially to fill in, are always welcome to apply. Call ADRC 608-930-9835 for more.
The Hidden Valley Church is a strong partner with the ADRC, along with being the congregate site at the church. Accessibility to and inside the building is great every day. The church annually collects Christmas baskets as a November monthly focus to be distributed before Christmas by Social Services and ADRC. The church donates the space in September for the annual Senior Expo sponsored by ADRC and Upland Hills Health to support organizations that focus on our growing aging population. The church also provides space for the senior card playing group two days a week.
I will suggest following the Aging and Disability Resource Center of Iowa County on Facebook to get the menu, taxi schedule, information for a ride to a medical appointment, and information about programs to help with just learning the stuff that changes as we age. Recently, the ADRC started a new virtual series titled Healthy Living with Mild Cognitive Impairment. The first discussion was focused on ultra-processed foods and how eating less processed food can lead to better health outcomes.
The ADRC is partnering with Upland Hills Health for a free Advance Directive Workshop on the morning of April 14. Following the workshop, volunteers will be available to witness your Healthcare Power of Attorney document.
The Mineral Point Public Library, with the ADRC, will have free Memory Screening by appointment on Tuesday, March 31st. By signing up, you will get a confidential, easy-to-understand result and other resources. The ADRC is only allowed to give information, not make decisions for you or the one you are helping.