DUBOIS – The DuBois Rotary Club recently made a donation of $650 to Mature Resources Area Agency on Aging (MRAAA) that will support vital initiatives such as the Blizzard Box program and staff training in Mental Health First Aid for older adults.
MRAAA seeks community support each year for the Blizzard Box program, and is still accepting donations from area businesses and members of the community.
Donations can be sent at any time to MRAAA at 600 Cooper Rd., Curwensville, PA 16833 or made online at https://www.mraaa.life/donate.
Information on how to become a sponsor is available by contacting the agency at 814-765-2696 or info@matureresources.life. The deadline to become a sponsor for this year’s Blizard Box campaign is Sept. 29.
Each year, across Pennsylvania and other states in the USA, Blizzard Boxes are packed and delivered to homebound Meals on Wheels recipients.
Typically, a combination of nonperishable foods, they are packaged and delivered at the onset of winter. Consumers are encouraged to store the meals in a safe place to use as a backup for stormy winter days when the Meals on Wheels staff may be unable to deliver a hot meal.
On these days, consumers are called and reminded to use some of the food from their Blizzard Box. Boxes are replenished as they are used, depending on available supply.
On any given day, about 800 senior citizens in Clearfield County are served through the MRAAA’s Meals on Wheels and More program. Blizzard Boxes are provided to every one of these meal recipients.
Since 2011, every Blizzard Box has contained the nutritional equivalent of three full meals which meet standards set by the Older Americans Act.
Training in Mental Health First Aid for older adults, supported by DuBois Rotary, will teach MRAAA staff members how to recognize signs of mental health or substance use challenges in older adults, how to offer and provide initial help and how to guide a person toward appropriate care if necessary. Topics covered include anxiety, depression, psychosis and addictions.
This charitable donation was made possible from the DuBois Rotary Club’s annual Rotary Radio Auction fundraiser held each year in early March.