Action News 17

The first stop of the day was at the Council on Aging in Hammond. Our class was greeted by the delightful, Ms. Beverly, who explained that 350 meals a week are served to senior citizens in the area. Some are congregate meals, while other meals are delivered to homes through the Meals on Wheels program. At the Council on Aging Center, we learned tha... t senior citizens gather at the center daily for the "ever popular" Bingo games. They can also participate in exercise classes held on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, as well as, Art and Computer classes offered throughout the week. Ms. Beverly stressed to us that socialization for the senior citizens is so important. She invited all of us to volunteer in some way. A few class members have stated they are interested in returning to "call BINGO"! Options was next on the agenda. Mrs. Sylvia Bush, who has been with Options for 38 years, welcomed us. She said that the organization's mission is to help people with disabilities live and work in the community. We learned that Ms. Mary Pirosko, whose son has a disability, is the founder of Options. As many of us were aware, Ms. Pirosko was on the local radio for many years. It was interesting to learn that Robin Roberts, who now is an anchor on Good Morning America, worked at the radio station with Ms. Pirosko and became a big supporter of Options. Options currently serves over 220 individuals and employs over 300 individuals in various capacities. They even employ some of the clients they serve. Some work in the Options Garden Center, the Weaving Studio, Fabulous Finds and the Second Line Bead Recycling and Sales. To our amazement, we learned that Options has 26 buses that travel each day to move clients throughout our parish. All of the services provided is made possible through 80% federal and state funding, 11% grants and contributions and 9% cash, stock or property funding. Nearing lunchtime, we traveled to Our Daily Bread (ODB), a non-profit food bank whose mission is to alleviate hunger in Tangipahoa Parish. Over 2,000 ...Read More