Food service for seniors in Grayville has been re-established after a special meeting by the Edwards County Council on Aging. Around three dozen turned out for the gathering Tuesday where concerned Grayvillians were able to express their thoughts before the council recessed into executive session. One of those who spoke out was Doug Ford.
First, I would like to thank you for calling this special meeting to discuss the actions this board took at their last regular meeting in regards to our center, but I would be remiss if I didn’t mention how disappointed we were in the way this was handled. From information we have received, the issue of the Grayville Senior Center wasn’t even on the agenda of your last meeting. And although you gave ample notice before closing the West Salem center — going as far as attempting to work with the West Salem village board to come up with options before deciding that closure was imminent, we did not receive that respect or consideration. The decision that came from the Edwards County Agency on Aging was to cease food deliveries on Nov. 30; however, with the Thanksgiving holiday, that left just three days for us to find a solution or our people were going to go without. After asking for months about the status of our center and receiving no information in return, this was a huge shock to our board and all of our volunteers. But let’s go beyond the business end of this situation. Let’s talk about the people. I don’t know how many of you have ever delivered meals, but you should take the time to volunteer like our wonderful group does daily. Most of the people we are delivering meals to will have no other meal that day. Likewise, the delivery person is the only human interaction they will have. They have no one. No one to check on them or ask them how they are doing. No one to provide food for them or help them in any way. We’ve all had times when we’ve felt lonely, but to be truly ALONE in this world is heartbreaking beyond measure. We aren’t just Door Dash, we are sometimes their only lifeline. I am so proud of the way our employees, board and volunteers, as well as our community, have come together to try to find a viable solution. The compassion, the brainstorming, the donations — not only of money, but time. This is what makes Grayville a great community. We take care of our own whether they are lifelong residents or just happened to move to town. And as my wife said, we may be meager of means, but we are all heart. I hope you will not only reconsider your decision, but also reconsider how you conduct your business in the future. There’s a lot more than the bottom line riding on your actions.
Estimates are the Grayville Senior Center serves about 60 each day it operates. Those in attendance say the council cited the increase in minimum wage, food prices, and other financial difficulties as leading to the original decision. Following the executive session, the council moved to reinstate food service to Grayville. Also though, they will form a committee consisting of 3 members of the Edwards County Council on Aging (Sharon Groff, Debbie Fearn, and David Kendrick) and 3 members to be chosen by the Grayville Senior Center and together, they are tasked with working on a smooth transition for Grayville to ultimately stand on its own. Since the original announcement a week ago, the Grayville community has come together to raise more than $9,600.