Meals On Wheels Steps Up To Help Seniors During Record Breaking Heat

Meals On Wheels is working to meet the challenge that the summer heat is putting on homebound seniors without air conditioning.

Leaders say people who are elderly, or disabled are more likely to become ill from heat stroke, which is why the group is holding a fan drive right now. The nonprofit started the drive a few weeks ago, but leaders say they have only received a limited number of box fans. They say they have about 1,900 clients and about 5 percent are in need of a fan.

Colleen Stice is the Care Coordination Manager for Meals on Wheels and she says all of their clients are homebound, so they can't go to any of the cooling stations if they are without AC.

"Last year we got a lot of feedback from our clients that were very appreciative of the fans because they were just sitting in their homes very hot. Or they were able to get out to their front porch, maybe, but they are not able to get to a cooling station. So the only option is to find a fan or a breeze just to cool them off," said Stice.

Meals on Wheels conducts wellness checks each week to find out if seniors are in need of anything.

You can drop off a box fan at their office near 51st and Yale or visit Meals On Wheels Tulsa's website for more information.