Our Programs for Seniors
MIFA’s senior programs are designed to promote independence, health, companionship, and dignity.
MIFA Meals on Wheels
With the help of volunteers, MIFA Meals on Wheels provides nutritious lunches for seniors in their homes and at congregate meal sites.
Eligibility
Home-delivered meal recipients are Shelby County seniors (age 60 and over) who are nutritionally at-risk and frail, homebound, or disabled. Congregate meal recipients are Shelby County residents over age 60 or under 60 and disabled.
To be screened for eligibility for Meals on Wheels, call the Aging Commission of the Mid-South at (901) 222-4111. To apply for congregate meals, complete an application in person at the site nearest you. Congregate sites are listed here.
Volunteer
Brighten the day of a homebound senior by delivering hot Meals on Wheels on weekday mornings.
Requirements: Each volunteer must possess a valid driver’s license and proof of auto insurance. Volunteers should arrive at MIFA between 9:30 and 10 a.m. Each car will carry two coolers containing food items, and MIFA staff will provide directions through the meals route (to about 10 clients’ homes). Delivering an entire route takes approximately two hours.
Click here for our volunteer handbook, or download our training PowerPoint, narrated by Stacy Jacobson, MIFA friend and WREG News Channel 3 reporter.
Contact Us
Tonya Parker, Director of Meals on Wheels | tparker@mifa.org | (901) 529-4520
Angela Scott, Meals on Wheels Volunteer Specialist | ascott@mifa.org | (901) 529-4513
To become a volunteer, contact: Kristi Estes, MIFA Volunteer Specialist | kestes@mifa.org | (901) 529-4521
Long-Term Care Ombudsman
MIFA's Long-Term Care Ombudsman program advocates for residents of long-term care facilities, including nursing homes, assisted-living facilities, and residential care homes. Through regular visits by staff and specially trained volunteers, the program investigates and mediates complaints, monitors residents’ care and quality of life, and provides public education for clients and their families.
Eligibility
Clients must be residents or potential residents of nursing homes, assisted living care facilities, or homes for the aged in Shelby, Fayette, Tipton, or Lauderdale County.
Volunteer
Trained Ombudsman volunteers pay regular visits to facilities, where they spend time with residents, monitor conditions, investigate complaints, and protect residents’ rights.
Volunteers must be 21 years of age with no conflicts of interest, provide references, submit to a background check, and complete an interview. Twelve hours of training and certification are required before a volunteer may visit residents. Volunteers must be willing and able to commit to the program for a minimum of one year, visiting residents weekly and working to resolve conflicts within nursing homes and care facilities.
Click here to learn more about becoming a volunteer.
Contact Us
Zev Samuels, District Ombudsman | zsamuels@mifa.org | (901) 529-4565
Carlos Royston, Volunteer Coordinator | croyston@mifa.org | (901) 529-4562