MARQUETTE — The Alger County Commission on Aging has begun efforts to establish a Meals on Wheels program separate from its current partner, Community Action Alger-Marquette.

Meals on Wheels is a program where hot meals are delivered to homebound seniors who are unable to prepare nutritious meals for themselves. Meal deliverers also check in on the seniors when they deliver the meals.

“We’ve been trying for years actually rolling things around, trying to keep it local in Alger County,” said ACCOA director Kris Linquist. “We could never find a licensed kitchen and it was just very difficult. We were almost going to give up until I happened to speak to a gal over at the Munising hospital because the meals used to be cooked there years and years ago and it worked wonderfully.”

ACCOA has partnered with Munising Memorial Hospital, gaining permission to use it as a site to cook meals.

Linquist said it will also provide congregate meals at the hospital as well. Congregate meals will be available starting once a week.

“I think it will be really good for the community,” she said. ” … It will bring more people there, too, to see what they have to offer and it’s right next to our office so having the driver run over the there to pick up the meals — it’s all going to be centrally located and nice, good meals.”

Call Robin Bergamesco at 906-387-4110 for more information on a part-time cook position or ACCOA at 906-387-2439.

Alexandria Bournonville can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 506. Her email address is abournonville@miningjournal.net.