Editor’s note: This is the sixth in a series of stories highlighting non-profit agencies that need help or donations during the holiday season.

NATCHEZ — Though they deliver more than 60,000 meals a year, serving another 13,000 meals on-site and offering senior citizens activities, the Natchez Senior Citizens Multipurpose Center can always use more help.

The senior center, which has operated for 31 years under the auspices of the Natchez-Adams Council on Aging, was at one time fully-funded by the council but now receives matching funds from government grants, Natchez Senior Center Executive Director Sabrena Bartley said.

And those funds go to several programs to promote the wellbeing of seniors, Bartley said.

The center offers meal programs both on-site and by delivery, and that is where the senior citizen’s center needs the most help.

Volunteers discuss why the Natchez Senior Center is important to themClick here for slideshow

“One of the greatest needs we have is volunteers to help us deliver meals and to serve meals and to help us as we do our activities during the day,” Bartley said.

The center also offers an adult day care program, which is designed for the family that has an older person who needs care but the family members have to work.

“We provide snacks, lunch and a nurse comes by to help those families in their daily lives,” Bartley said. “Their families don’t have to worry if they have gotten a hot lunch for that day.”

The center picks up the senior citizen and takes them back home at the end of the day, as well as takes them to doctor’s appointments and helps them take care of other personal needs.

For the month of October, the center provided adult day care for 426 seniors.

“It would be really good to have someone sponsor adult day care services,” Bartley said.

And, of course, additional funding would be appreciated.

“We have a super large waiting list of about 200 people who are needing meals or adult day care services, but our funding is limited,” Bartley said. “We can actually buy meals with some donations and serve people we are not otherwise allowed to serve daily.”

The center also offers adult literacy classes and volunteer service programs for seniors.

The center is located at 800 Washington Street, and is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.