In February 2020, the Gifting Tree Foundation presented $5000 to Aiken Senior Life Services, Aiken, SC.
The donation is being used to provide five (5) Emergency Case clients a hot, nutritious meal delivered to their home by volunteers over the next 52 weeks. While these individuals are ambulatory, they are housebound on a limited income. All of them have some type of chronic disease e.g. COPD, high blood pressure, diabetes, etc. and are battling other problems as well (e.g. cancer, vision or hearing loss, depression, etc.).
The mission of Aiken Senior Life Services is to provide a suite of services, which enable Aiken County homebound seniors to live independently. The Home Delivered Meal Program includes a daily hot, nutritious noontime meal, as well as assessments by caseworkers to monitor clients’ present health condition, physical abilities and identify limitations that may require additional services. This 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization provides not only food services but transportation for ambulatory seniors throughout Aiken County.
Don Cheeks, The Gifting Tree Foundation Board Chair, said “We are very happy to partner with the Aiken Senior Life Services to provide food to low-income, homebound seniors in Aiken County. We realize too many seniors in our community are living without the basic food necessary for a reasonable quality of life. Our seniors have given so much to our area during their younger years, and we are pleased to be able to assist them during their time of need. We applaud Aiken Senior Life Services for helping our low-income seniors remain independent.”
In keeping with the mission of the Gifting Tree Foundation, this is an example of “gifting” selflessly to fulfill unmet needs in our community, either directly or by supporting other local charities.