To the Editor,

I read Sunday with pleasure a story in your paper describing a large anonymous gift to United Way and how a portion of that gift would be used by the Lumber River Council of Governments for its nutrition program. This is a very commendable use for this generous gift and will certainly be welcomed.

During the past few weeks a citizen asked me how they could help a local couple obtain meals at Fairmont’s nutrition site and I referred them to the site supervisor. Upon learning of budgetary concerns, which has led to a cutoff of additional senior citizens receiving meals there, I talked to LRCOG nutrition director Michelle Gately, who confirmed the earlier information and said, due to rising levels of need among our county’s senior citizens and a limited budget by which to operate, that new enrollments had to be curtailed. Currently more than 200 seniors receive meals at various sites throughout our county with 42 participating in Fairmont weekly and seven being home delivered. She informed me that the program was funded under a federal program and would welcome any help resulting in more funding.

I immediately called Congressman Richard Hudson’s district office director Chris Carter in Concord and informed him of this situation, asked that the congressman be informed, and efforts be made toward enlarging the nutrition-sites needs in the coming federal budget.

Taking care of our citizens is a primary responsibility of all levels of government and in our small community of Fairmont we must show we care by doing all we can to see that our senior citizens receive proper nutrition and other needed assistance. Hopefully with added dollars to the nutrition program, through a larger federal contribution and this anonymous gift, more seniors will be able to receive meals and improve their quality of life.

Charles Kemp

Fairmont