SERVICES FOR THOSE IIN THE BEST YEARS: CAPE GIRARDEAU NUTRITION CENTER

The mission of the Jackson Nutrition Center is to promote the wellbeing of people who are 60 and older. It provides a place to congregate and delivers meals to home-bound people.

The nutrition center is at 402 E. Washington in Jackson. The center is open from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Mondays through Fridays.

Suggested donation for a meal is $1.75 for persons 60 or older or for handicapped persons 18 to 59. Home-bound meals are delivered to homes within Cape Girardeau County. Recipients of the meals must be approved by the center's administrator.

The nutrition center prepares special diabetic meals with specific diet instructions from the person's physician.

Annually, nearly 24,000 meals are served, an average of more than 100 meals daily; more than 8,500 meals are delivered to home-bound residents.

A spokeswoman for the center explained: "We deliver out into the county now, not just within Jackson city. We have our own van. But we have still to receive as many requests as we had anticipated."

Free health services including cholesterol and blood-pressure screenings are offered at the nutrition center. For those who need transportation services, a transit bus service is available.

For more information about the organization call 243-4241.