Bringing meals, contact to shut-ins

TORRINGTON — The best type of employee for a Meals on Wheels program are those who drove for a living and know how to follow a specific route each day.

The skills are often found in retired police officers, letter carriers and bulk newspaper delivery workers, said Joel Sekorski, director of the Sullivan Senior Center, where the regional program is based.

“It’s also important that the driver be a caring, people person, one who has compassion for the seniors,” he added.

Those attributes can be found in Dan Coleman, who has worked for the program for 26 years — longer than any other employee.

“People appreciate the meals I deliver. They’re glad to see me all the time and I’m glad to see them,” Coleman said recently. “And it’s also good exercise.”

September is National Senior Center Month and the city can boast that it has offered an Elderly Nutrition Program for 44 years.

“Torrington was on the forefront of elderly nutrition,” Coleman said. “They put a high priority on elderly care.”

The Litchfield Hills/ Northwest Nutrition Program provides meals to clients in 18 towns in a

region which begins in Torrington and stretches from Kent to Norfolk and Canaan to Morris.

“I like being out, not being in an office,” said Kathy Pelchat, who has delivered meals for 17 years. “I definitely get to know (clients’) patterns. We form bonds,” she added.

“Seniors feel safer with a daily check,” said Sherry

Cote, the program’s nutrition supervisor. The contact is equally as important as the meal, she said.

“Torrington is unique in being a municipality” that oversees the funding process, Sekorski noted. The cost for the regional program is nearly $1.5 million, which is paid for through state and federal grants.

As many as 400 people receive meals each day in the region for a total of 700 meals delivered, according to Sekorski.

“It’s documented that the Elderly Nutrition Program is one the cheapest ways to keep people in their homes,” he said. “It’s cheaper by one-half than the cost of one day of state-funded nursing home care.”

Leslie Hutchison/ Hearst Connecticut Media Paul Chiappa and Kathy Pelchat work in the food storage building, across the street from the Sullivan Senior Center, to sort meals based on clients’ dietary needs.

The day’s hot meal offers quiche, roasted potatoes and stewed tomatoes.