VIDALIA — Elderly Vidalia residents were served lunch with a side of savings Thursday during a Christmas luncheon sponsored by the Triads Inc.

The Vidalia chapter of the National Associations of Triads Inc. is entering its second year of helping elderly residents in Vidalia.

The outreach program is designed to assess the needs of elderly residents in the area by making daily calls or visits to those citizens who don’t have family in the area or need extra assistance.

Vidalia Police Department Chief Arthur Lewis played a key role in starting the program and said the purpose is simple.

“I just want someone to go by and check on these people,” Lewis said. “Maybe they have relatives out of town that can’t come and check on them every day or weekly, and some don’t have any relatives at all.”

Lewis said he was fortunate to have a large family so there was always someone checking in on his mother late in her life, and he wants to provide that same safety to others who aren’t as fortunate.

“It’s a joy to bring some kind of light to these people,” he said.

The Triads invited Cenla Area Agency on Aging to attend the event and provide elderly citizens an opportunity to save money on their Medicare plans.

The agency inputs citizens information into the Medicare website and compares their current plan with other health care plans before letting them choose one that’s best for them according to Mary Ann Cebrynski, senior counselor with Cenla.

“A lot of them don’t realize that those plans change every year, and they could be paying a lot less than they are paying right now,” Cebrynski said. “It’s harder to get the word out in rural areas, but we’re trying.”

Cebrynski said the average amount Cenla saves people on their Medicare plans is approximately $600, but there have been situations where they’ve saved people thousands of dollars.

“The insurance companies, I’m sorry to say, are no help because each company is ‘the best’ they don’t take into consideration the person,” Cebrynski said. “We’re just trying to make people aware that there are places where they can get help.”

For more information on Triads or to volunteer contact VPD at 318-336-5254 and for more information on Cenla call 1-800-454-9573.