ROGERS — This coming Saturday, October 24, the Meals on Wheels of Rogers will feature the Harvest of Caring Benefit event at the John Q. Hammons Center in Rogers. Recently, Barbara Stimac, the event chairperson, invited me to write about this im portant fundraiser. I jumped at the chance to help promote this worthwhile cause, because I knew Meals on Wheels provided a service essential to the homebound needy of our area.

Meals on Wheels of Rogers Inc. began 25 years ago, but some may not know about the organization or the valuable service that it provides. It was started when several churches recognized the need to provide food and daily contact to those shut-in by age or infirmity, which for some means the difference between independent living versus assisted care. The nonprofit organization was organized and the first meals delivered in 1985.

Today, the program serves about 50 hot mid-day meals, Monday through Friday, or about 250 per week. The organization is staffed by one full-time employee, the director Curt Loyd, one paid part-time kitchen manager, one part-time kitchen assistant (provided through the Experience Works program) and more than 40 volunteers. Volunteer drivers, who provide their own vehicle and gas, run five routes daily. Meals are served to residents of Rogers and surrounding areas including Prairie Creek, Rocky Branch, Avoca, north to Pea Ridge and south to Prairie Grove Road. The volunteers do much more than deliver a hot meal to the homebound. They visit, listen and care for their needs. Many of the clients have no one to per-JAMES HALES form minor chores, and the volunteers go the extra mile to care for them.

So, you ask, where do the meals come from? The meals are prepared fresh daily in the former Lakeside Restaurant at Lake Atalanta. The historic restaurant built by Cactus and Lavonne Clark in 1948 has been closed for several years but is still functioning as the home of Meals on Wheels. The restaurant belongs to the city of Rogers, but is leased for a nominal fee to the orga nization.

Who provides the funding for this essential program? Many clients pay the “at cost” donation price of the meal, but others need help. The Meals on Wheels program by choice receives no federal, state or city revenue. In order to serve the needy without limiting government guidelines, the program is entirely funded locally by private contributions from individuals, churches, social and service organizations, businesses and area corporations. In these tough times, there are many more needy than can be served at the present level of funding, therefore, the first major fundraising event is planned for this Saturday.

The “Harvest of Caring” event at the Hammons Center will provide a fun and exciting time while raising money for the homebound needy. The gala affair will feature a silent auction during a lively cocktail hour and then a sumptuous dinner with entertaining music by the Sugar Creek Band. Meza Harris will emcee the program and Director Curt Loyd will make a special presentation to Lavonne Clark.

In addition to the many donated items for the silent auction, a live auction featuring many major items will be held. The highlight of the auction will be a 2010 Toyota Corolla courtesy of Toyota of Northwest Arkansas. Other items for auction are: a Vespa S50 scooter, courtesy of Vespa of the Ozarks; a fabulous week at a condo in Gulf Shores, Ala., donated by Lindsey and Associates; a 2000-watt generator courtesy of Heartland Honda; and many other fine items.

The festivities are from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the John Q. Hammons Center this Saturday, October 24. Tickets to the gala are only $75, and can be obtained from Curt Loyd at 636-1814 or e-mail at rogers-m@att.net. If you don’t have time to make reservations, tickets will be available at the door. This is an excellent opportunity to participate in the fun with an entertaining evening while making a real positive difference in the lives of others.

James Hales is a retired homebuilder and historian who has written two books about the history of Rogers. His latest book, The Fabulous 1960s in Rogers, Arkansas, chronicles the exciting changes that occurred in the decade of the 1960s.

Opinion, Pages 4 on 10/21/2009

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