Seniors in need are getting a hot, healthy meal again thanks to a new Meals to Go program at two local senior centers, a pilot effort made possible entirely through community donations.
The program began Thursday at the Canonsburg and Cecil Township senior centers and replaces the former Grab and Go service, which ended in February in Washington, Fayette and Greene counties after federal funding was cut.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE >>> Grab and Go Meal plan ends for about 450 local seniors after federal funding cuts
Albert Dami, 89, former president of the Canonsburg Senior Center, said the program is an important service for seniors who cannot always make it to the center.
“A nice little lunch every day,” Dami said. “I’ll be looking at 90 at the end of the month.”
Mayor David Rhome said seniors are grateful they can pick up meals and take them to people living in high-rises who cannot come to the centers.
“They are so thankful and grateful that they can come here and pick up one or two and take it back to people who can’t get here — and they will not go hungry,” Rhome said.
State Rep. Jason Ortitay, R-Allegheny, worked with local leaders and the Area Agency on Aging to revive the program, which allows meals to be picked up and delivered to homebound seniors.
“Watching that program go away and knowing how many seniors it impacted really tugged at me every night. We were just trying to figure out a way to get it going again,” Ortitay said. “I wanted to make sure nobody was going to go hungry ... wanted to make sure they had adequate access to actual nutritional food.”
The program is funded entirely by donations. Larry Winter of South Hills Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram donated $4,000, and EQT contributed another $6,000 — enough to fund meals for the next few months. This comes 108 days into the state budget stalemate, as programs across Health and Human Services face potential cuts.
Cindy Fisher, a Cecil Township supervisor, said the program shows the importance of local government stepping up to meet community needs.
“Not every township senior can come to the senior center, but they still need to be fed and nourished and taken care of — and that’s our job in government,” she said.
The pilot program costs $5 per meal, but any senior who can’t afford it receives meals for free. Organizers hope to expand the program to the other 22 senior centers in the area if additional funding is available.
Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts.
Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW
©2025 Cox Media Group
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/XCUXZC2XYZHCRGNNGKFEX6U3LQ.png)
