The Saline County Senior Services has reported a significant increase in meal service for the first half of 2025, serving nearly 62,000 meals to seniors in the community, according to Director Rosie Walter.
During her quarterly update to the Saline County Commission on Monday, Walter presented statistics showing that 61,800 meals were served between January and June of this year, with 97% of those meals being subsidized and only 3% categorized as "full pay."
Walter provided comparative data demonstrating a consistent growth pattern in meal service over recent years. The current figure represents an increase from 60,177 meals served during the same period in 2024, and a more substantial jump from the 57,484 meals served in the first half of 2023.
"So you can see that we're still growing," Walter told commissioners during her presentation.
The meal service is part of the broader mission of Senior Services, which also includes social activities at the Senior Center located at 245 North 9th Street.
Walter emphasized the importance of socialization for seniors, showing commissioners photographs of regular attendees who spend much of their day at the center.
"These ones are our regulars that come in—I would say every day—and they come in from morning and they're usually with us until we close," Walter said.
In addition to the meal service update, Walter also discussed upcoming plans, including the Sunflower Prayer event scheduled for September 16 at Tony's Event Center.
The Senior Services budget update indicated that the total amount of operations subsidized by tax dollars to run the Senior Center was $110,844 for the first half of the year.
This update came alongside news that Senior Services has been awarded a $712,460 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) for facility improvements, which the commission approved earlier in the meeting.
