Officers ‘Protect’, help FCTA ‘Serve’

(Editor’s Note: The following was submitted by Kim Jobe, Fulton County Transit Authority)

According to an old saying, “teamwork makes the dream work.” In Fulton County, teamwork gets things done.

Thanks to a partnership between local law enforcement, the Senior Citizens of Fulton County and Fulton County Transit Authority, 72 trips were made to deliver hot meals and warm visits to some local seniors Feb. 18.

While watching a newscast on TV earlier last week, Capt. Allen Poole of the Fulton Police Department saw a segment about an area having difficulty delivering meals to senior citizens during the inclement weather that has almost shut down western Kentucky for more than a week. This broadcast made Poole wonder about the seniors in Fulton County.

“I called Kenney (Etherton, FCTA Executive Director) and offered for us to help,” Poole said referring to himself and other members of FPD,

Following Poole’s call, Etherton contacted Sandra Bolin, the interim director of Senior Citizens of Fulton County, and the duo came up with a plan to deliver meals on Thursday. Etherton also talked with two of FCTA’s meal drivers who didn’t hesitate to play a part in Thursday’s venture as well.

“This is teamwork on the part of local officials,” Etherton exclaimed. “This is one of the great things about living in a small community. We have caring people.”

Also joining in the meal delivery effort were Fulton County Sheriff Derek Goodson, Fulton County Deputy Dennis McDaniel and Sgt. Tyler Nolan and School Resource Officer T.J. Kirby from the Fulton Police Department. Goodson, McDaniel, and Kirby helped FCTA Driver Mickey Brockwell with delivery in Hickman while Poole and Nolan worked with FCTA Driver Joey Griffith in Fulton.

According to Bolin, the last hot meal that had been delivered from the Senior Citizens of Fulton County’s center in Hickman was on Feb. 9.

“I’d been pacing the floor at home wishing we could do something for them,” Bolin admitted. “I was worried about them. We had been calling and checking on them, making sure they had food. Family and churches have helped get them ready for this because we knew it was coming. We just never thought it would get so bad here.”

In the three years she has served as interim director, Bolin said this was the longest that the senior center has been closed and the worst weather the area has seen in that time period.

Because Bolin lives on the “third layer of hills,” as she described it, Hickman Police Chief Tony Grogan drove her to the senior center to get the meals ready for delivery Thursday. Senior Citizens of Fulton Cook Valeria Buskirk has a four-wheel drive vehicle and drove herself in to work.

After Buskirk got the meal prepared, she and Bolin placed the food into divided containers and sealed them for delivery.

“I think this was wonderful,” Bolin said of Thursday’s delivery project. “We sent out hot meals and shelf-life meals so we wouldn’t have to have the danger of doing it tomorrow after everything ices over tonight.”

In all, 72 stops were made to deliver the senior meals in the Hickman and Fulton area. The deliveries are counted by trips rather than number of meals, Bolin explained.

Around 11 a.m. Feb. 18, Poole said the team effort was going really well.

“The last lady we visited said she was surprised we were there,” Poole added. “I took another lady’s trash out for her.”

For Poole, joining in with this team effort was all a part of the police motto: “To Protect and To Serve.”

“We are just here to do what is right for the elderly and, with times like this, we want to play our part,” Poole said. “We have the ability and want to extend a hand whenever we can. It’s good to see these shut-ins, too, and check on them. Some of them don’t have family around and don’t have any contacts in the area.

“We could always add it to our duty to do welfare checks on them and help them out,” Poole added.

According to Bolin, the requirements to qualify for meal delivery during COVID is basically the person must be over 60 and unable to drive. Those seniors who can drive can pick up meals, even when there is not snow on the ground.

By definition, shelf-life meals, Bolin explained, are easy to prepare items the seniors can handle themselves. Thursday’s shelf-life meal consisted of a container of microwaveable beef stew, crackers, fruit, and juice to drink.