Nutrition & Wellness

MEOC’s nutrition and wellness services are designed to reduce hunger and food insecurity among seniors, promote socialization and community involvement, help seniors learn to manage their own health, and help provide prescription medication assistance to chronically ill, uninsured individuals.

Home Delivered Meals

The home-delivered meals service provides a nutritious meal for people aged 60 and older who are homebound because of illness, disability, or other isolating conditions. Individuals who qualify for the program will receive one meal per day, five days per week. Space is limited and services are provided to those who have the greatest nutritional need. Nutrition assessments, nutrition and food safety education, and nutritional counseling are also available.

Senior Community Sites

Senior community sites provide a healthy meal in a group setting at locations throughout the community. The program provides a range of services including nutrition assessments, nutrition and food safety education, and nutritional counseling. Senior community sites also provide an important link to other supportive in-home and community-based supports such as homemaker and personal care services, transportation, physical activity, and fall prevention programs. Sites are currently located at Big Stone Gap, Coeburn, Pound, Norton, Hiltons, Nickelsville, Jonesville and Pennington Gap.

Mountain Laurel Cancer Support & Resource Center

Mountain Laurel Cancer Support & Resource Center provides personalized assistance in a community-based, welcoming, private environment. Through a partnership with the University of Virginia’s Cancer Center Without Walls initiative, the Mountain Laurel Center provides education on cancer prevention, early detection, treatment and resources to groups and individuals in the community. Through funds established by families of cancer patients who lost their fight with cancer, the center provides liquid nutritional supplements and financial assistance for travel for diagnosis, treatment, and surgery as well as for other unforeseen expenses that attend a cancer diagnosis.

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Mature woman buying vegetables at farmers market

Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program

The Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program provides low-income seniors access to locally-grown fruits and vegetables. Eligible seniors receive vouchers to exchange for fresh foods from farmers pre-approved by the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. To be eligible for this program, you must be at least age 60, within 150 percent of federal poverty guidelines, and live in Wise County or Norton. Vouchers are distributed on a first-come, first-served basis. MEOC begins taking applications for the program on May 1 each year.

Portrait of instructor and seniors with thumbs up

Falls Prevention Programs

MEOC offers two FREE programs to help older adults manage their risk of falling and increase activity levels.

• A Matter of Balance is an eight-week workshop emphasizing practical strategies to reduce fear of falling and increase activity levels. Participants will learn to view falls as controllable, set goals for increasing activity, make changes to reduce fall risks at home, and exercise to increase strength and balance.

• Bingocize® is a 10-week program that combines a bingo-like game with exercise and health education. The overall goals are to help older adults improve and maintain mobility and independence, learn and use health information focused on fall reduction and other health-related behaviors, and socially engage with other older adults.