Community Commitment
HENRIETTA – On the front porch of his blue frame house in Henrietta, an oxygen tube attached to his face, Vietnam veteran Calvin Carter says his wife’s death is a source of misery.
Being isolated is tough. Being isolated alone is tougher.
But Carter is thankful for what he has, including a neighbor who visits to make sure he is all right. He also is thankful for the Ray County Senior Center’s temporary food-delivery program for older residents.
With a smile, Ray County Commissioner Allen Dale greets Carter by name, providing encouragement and a bag of food from the center. Carter says the new, free program helps him get by.
“It’s great because I can’t drive,” Carter says while sitting in the shade on a white, plastic chair. “I’ve got a medical condition that keeps me from driving. If it wasn’t for (the food deliveries) and also my neighbor who brings me over some stuff once in a while, I wouldn’t be able to get anything. …
“All my trips have been canceled because of this COVID-19…