South Central Colorado Seniors signs MOU and will open Alamosa congregate meals site at Living Water

Terry Shea, interim director of South Central Colorado Seniors, told the Alamosa City Council that the organization has signed a memorandum of understanding to open a new congregate meal site at the Living Water Bible Fellowship and will move operations there beginning Friday.

Shea described staffing changes, training and food-quality improvements since he began as interim director and introduced Ruthie Perry as the organization’s new nutrition director. Shea said the group had to discard more than $20,000 worth of expired food when he arrived, completed staff training at the Monte Vista kitchen and hired additional drivers and kitchen staff to support expanded service.

On program scale, Shea said the organization delivered 12,547 home-delivered meals and served 5,248 congregate meals in Alamosa last fiscal year (a total of 17,855 meals in Alamosa). Across the San Luis Valley service area the organization provided nearly 40,000 meals last year. Shea said staff hope the new Living Water site—close to City Market, Walmart and local medical offices—will increase participation.

A council member asked whether Living Water has a lease; Shea said there will be a lease and that the board chair would coordinate on invoicing so any prorated refund the city holds could be redirected to offset the lease if appropriate.

Why it matters: the move relocates the local congregate-meal site to a new community space, the organization reported program growth, and the city may coordinate on lease or fund transfers to ensure continuity of service to older residents.

Council thanked the presenters and had no further substantive action at the meeting.