Nutrition and Services

Our Meals on Wheels program is our largest program. Daily, Monday-Friday, our home delivered meals program provides approximately 1,300 homebound, elderly, and disabled residents of Jefferson and Hardin counties with the nutritious meals required for independent living. Our transportation program provides a vital link to healthcare, shopping, household necessities and social interaction. This past year, we provided almost 40,000 one-way trips and transportation rides. Our eighteen congregate dining sites serve close to 300 seniors each day and allow seniors who are not homebound the ability to dine with friends and enjoy social interaction along with various activities such as bingo, cards, board games, etc. Our newest initiative, Mondays in Motion, is made possible through our BeWell Beaumont funding and partnership with ExxonMobil. In collaboration with the YMCA, this program brings gentle yoga classes to seniors each Monday, encouraging movement, flexibility, and balance in a supportive and inclusive environment. Through Mondays in Motion, we are expanding the BeWell Beaumont initiative’s mission of promoting healthy lifestyles and overall well-being among seniors in our community. Many of our clients face challenges such as limited mobility, chronic health conditions, and social isolation. By providing accessible yoga sessions, we’re addressing not only their physical health but also their emotional and social needs. Our pet food program, AniMeals, provides critical, life-sustaining food for the pets of our homebound clients. We feel strongly about the positive effects that pet ownership can have on the homebound. The AniMeals program provides our clients’ pets with their own nutritionally appropriate food, therefore allowing our clients to enjoy their full meal without feeling inclined to share their meal with their pets.

Nutrition and Services for Seniors (NSS), a 501(c)(3) entity established in 1983, was organized by a group of civic- minded citizens concerned for the welfare of seniors in their community. For over 40 years, NSS has been a staple among the senior population, providing life-sustaining services to elderly and disabled adults throughout Jefferson and Hardin counties. Our large network of volunteers, staff and corporate sponsors bring daily food and friendship to a population that is often overlooked, neglected, and simply forgotten. Our unique approach to addressing the needs of the Southeast Texas aging and disabled adult community puts a focus on “whole life enhancement.” Unlike other Meals on Wheels programs that are focused on only the home delivered meal, we provide an array of services that are necessary for independent living. Through transportation, congregate dining, groceries for the hungry, fresh produce, and pet food assistance, we ensure the elderly and disabled in our community have access to services that allow them to remain living independently at home. All NSS programs are aimed at increasing independence and reducing isolation that can be brought about by aging and limited mobility. Isolation is a very real concern among our homebound community. The visit our clients receive from a driver delivering lunch, pet food, groceries or produce is critical and may be their only daily social interaction. The visit may also be their only connection to life-saving assistance in the event of an emergency, proving that our programs truly serve as much more than just a meal. Without services such as transportation, transit-reliant individuals in our community may not have access to life-sustaining doctors’ appointments, cancer treatments or dialysis. Without congregate dining programs, seniors would be at risk of becoming more sedentary and isolated, thereby subjecting them to depression and loneliness. Since 1983, NSS has been the reliable source for these vital services that allow our elderly and disabled adult population the ability to lead quality lives while maintaining dignity and independence. It is truly through our tremendous team of staff, volunteers, board of directors and supportive community that we are able to continue in our efforts of ensuring the seniors and disabled adults in Jefferson and Hardin counties are able to remain living independently at home, but not alone. With a network of over 250 volunteers, corporate sponsors, and loyal donors, we bring food and friendship to a population that is often overlooked, neglected, and simply forgotten.