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Crater Area Agency on Aging briefs Surry supervisors on senior services; county highlights new EMS and fire apparatus
Summary
Crater District Area Agency on Aging updated the board on nutrition, home-delivery meals (6,158 meals region-wide; Surry represented ~15.6%), congregate meals and diabetes-prevention programming. County staff showcased cash-funded EMS and fire vehicles — a medic unit (~$398,000) and an initial-attack apparatus (~$415,000).
Representatives of the Crater District Area Agency on Aging provided a program update to the Surry County Board of Supervisors, outlining services for older adults in the county and the region.
Renata (CEO) and Shalisha Hill (nutrition and wellness specialist) told the board the Crater service area includes more than 2,300 Surry County residents age 60 or older and about 224 older adults living below the poverty line. The agency reported providing 6,158 home-delivered meals regionally and said Surry accounted for roughly 15.6% of those deliveries (an average of about 38 homebound senior recipients in Surry). The agency also reported delivering 1,759 congregate meals in Surry and said programs include case management, Medicare/benefit counseling, an Ombudsman program for long-term care advocacy, a diabetes-prevention program (DPP), respite services, seasonal “Cool Care” AC distribution, and a farmer’s-market voucher program that provides $50 cards to seniors.
Shalisha Hill described the home-delivered meal program’s role as a wellness check for homebound seniors; staff cited a participant survey with qualitative feedback about social benefits and improved wellbeing. The presenters said the agency’s primary funding sources are federal and state grants, supplemented by local contributions, and that certain services are paid for or subsidized regionally by Crater.
In the county administrator’s report, operations staff displayed two new cash-funded apparatus items recently purchased for emergency services: a 2023 Ford F550 initial-attack apparatus for the Dendron Volunteer Fire Department (approximate cost $415,000) and a 2023 Ford F554 4x4 medic unit for Surry County EMS (approximate cost $398,000). Mr. Phelps said the medic unit is intended to be in service by Jan. 15 pending licensing, inspection and radio/cradle-point installation. County staff emphasized both vehicles were purchased with cash rather than debt financing and noted maintenance and licensing obligations will follow.
Board members thanked Crater staff for the senior services and encouraged outreach to increase participation. Several supervisors praised volunteer firefighters and EMS crews for their service and noted the apparatus are visible evidence of county investments in public safety.
