NWA centers match donation for seniors

Six Northwest Arkansas senior centers more than met a challenge issued last fall to raise money to match an anonymous donation to Meals on Wheels.

Anita Dunlap, director of senior center services for the Area Agency on Aging of Northwest Arkansas, said the anonymous donation came through the Arkansas Community Foundation. People can donate to the foundation with specific instructions on where the money goes.

The donor offered in September to match $20,000 raised by Farmington, Prairie Grove, Lincoln, Fayetteville, Elkins and Newton County senior centers. The centers had until Dec. 31 to raise the money.

Each center was responsible for bringing in $3,333.33 to meet the match.

All the centers had met the challenge by the end of October. Dunlap contacted the foundation, and the anonymous donor raised the matching amount to $30,000. This meant each center had to raise a total of $5,000.

The centers exceeded the challenge, raising a total of $37,451. The donor matched every penny.

The Fayetteville Senior Center raised the most, $7,477. Prairie Grove raised the second most at $7,415.

Linda Willkie, director of Prairie Grove Senior Activity & Wellness Center, appreciated the donation.

“This is someone who wants to make a difference,” Willkie said. “Fourteen thousand dollars is such a blessing. Anyone who donates is a blessing to us.”

The annual budget for the Prairie Grove center this year is $130,000, and the center has to raise $32,000 on its own toward the budget. Last year, food costs alone were $37,000, Willkie said.

Tina Batlle, director of Farmington’s senior center, also was grateful.

“Meals on Wheels is very important, and we want to be able to continue it,” Batlle said. “This is a very big deal.”

The $5,000 match for Farmington is equivalent to six months’ worth of fundraising events, she added.

Farmington feeds 60 homebound seniors.

Jerry Mitchell, director of Area Agency on Aging, praised the anonymous donor.

“Without this individual’s donation and the support of the matching community donors, we would not be able to continue to provide meals, transportation, and health and wellness activities to our senior adult population. The agency is incredibly proud of the staff and volunteers that stepped up and accepted this challenge.”

“Meals on Wheels is very important, and we want to be able to continue it. This is a very big deal.”

— Tina Batlle, director, Farmington’s senior center