Adult day center opens in East County

EAST COUNTY — For Maribeth Phillips, a dream has finally become reality.

Meals on Wheels PLUS has officially moved its Daybreak Adult Day Center program to its new East County home at 10920 State Road 70 E., Bradenton, in Spring Forest Business Park.

“We hope by being here we’ll be able to help those in this area of the county who need it,” said Phillips, CEO of Meals on Wheels PLUS. “We’re so grateful to the community and all the advocates who helped get us here because we really needed a new home for this program.”

The 6,600-square-foot property formerly housed Little Footsteps day care.

Daybreak’s old building in West Bradenton had about 1,000 less square feet of space and was not as aesthetically pleasing or functional, Phillips said.

The new layout encourages clients to gather together for morning announcements before breaking into activities. There are rooms for crafts, caregiver support and other meetings, training, offices and more; Phillips hopes to one day add a theater room. There are also quiet areas for clients who wish to be alone.
The offices for the onsite nurse and activity director have windows to overlook clients in the main activity area.

“I love it,” participant Dianne Maddaleno said. “The girls are so friendly. I do all the activities, and the food is good.”

Meals on Wheels PLUS moved the adult day center to its new location over Martin Luther King Jr. weekend — a three-day holiday for which the day center already planned to be closed — so there would be no disruption to service.

Meals on Wheels PLUS will welcome the public to the facility during a March 13 open house.

The facility’s main purpose will be to provide a safe place at which older adults with physical or mental difficulties receive social, recreational and therapeutic activities, but Phillips said she hopes having a presence in East County will raise awareness about Meals on Wheels PLUS and its services (see sidebar, right).

Meals on Wheels PLUS will use the site as a meal pick-up location for volunteers who deliver hot meals to homebound seniors. Previously, those volunteers had to travel to West Bradenton to pick up meals for distribution.

The site will also be a drop-off for donations to The Food Bank of Manatee.

About Meals on Wheels PLUS
Meals on Wheels PLUS is a nonprofit dedicated to assisting individuals to live independently by providing nutrition and support services.

The parent organization offers the following services/programs:

The Food Bank of Manatee: Distributes food to nonprofit agencies, such as food pantries and soup kitchens, for disbursement into the community. Families in emergency situations also can receive food packages on a temporary basis.

Home-delivered meals: Homebound seniors and other qualifying individuals receive hot home-delivered meals up to once daily during the week.

Daybreak Adult Day Center: Provides a place for older adults with physical and mental difficulties who live at home with a loved one but cannot be left alone, to come for food and activities during the day.

Friendship Dining Program: Individuals age 60 and up join for a meal, companionship and activities at dining centers throughout the county.

Senior Enrichment Center: Located in Renaissance on Ninth, the center provides individuals 50 and up a place to participate in recreational, cultural and educational programs on weekdays.

Senior Wheels (door-to-door transportation): A scheduled driver takes clients to and from their home to doctor’s appointments, recreational activities, shopping or other activities.

Senior Lunch Club: Individuals gather for a meal at one of two locations, Bradenton or Lakewood Ranch, and a discussion on topics such as Medicare, healthy living and finances.

Renaissance on Ninth: A meeting, wedding and banquet facility that also offers professional catering services.

Grandma’s Goodies: The community can purchase made-to-order cookies, with proceeds benefiting Meals on Wheels PLUS. Orders must be placed 48 hours in advance.

For information or details about programs or how to volunteer, visit mealsonwheelsplus.org or call 747-4655.

Open House
When: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. March 13

Where: 10920 State Road 70 E., Bradenton, in Spring Forest Business Park

Info: Licensed for up to 100 individuals. About 80 participate currently.

Contact Pam Eubanks at [email protected].