Nutrition Center Temporarily Suspends Hot Meals Program

Leann Harris delivers a curbside meal to a customer at the Doniphan Nutrition Center. The hot meal service was suspended effective March 27 due to a shortage of kitchen help. The board of directors hopes to the center will be back serving hot meals again in about two weeks.

Ron Smith

Doniphan Nutrition Center director Mona Settles said Thursday that it most likely will be at least two weeks before the center can resume serving hot meals again.

Settles said the board of directors agreed to suspend the hot meal service beginning today (Friday, March 27) after illness had left the kitchen staff depleted.

“We don’t have enough staff to cook, serve and carry out, too,” said Settles.

In place of the hot meals, frozen dinners will be delivered to homebound clients. Home health workers may pick up the frozen meals at the center for their clients.

The nutrition center dining room was closed last week due to the COVID-19 threat. Dine-in clients still were able to pick up to-go meals at the curb. However that service has been discontinued effective today.

Settles said the illnesses affecting the staff are not believed to be related to COVID-19.