VIDALIA — The Concordia Council on Aging is asking residents for paper products, monetary donations, volunteers and gifts for bingo prizes.

The Council on Aging serves clients 60 and older from Clayton to Acme, serving home-delivered meals and bringing people to the two senior centers for activities. Parish Director Dorothy McDonald said the center also has a homemaker service where people care and clean for homebound clients.

“It is a free service,” McDonald said about the council’s offerings. “We try to provide services to those who are the most needy.”

Paper products include paper towels, napkins and even office supplies such as printer paper, McDonald said.

“Anything anyone would want to contribute, pretty much the elderly can use,” she said.

McDonald said cleaning supplies would also be useful, as the containers the food comes in has to be cleaned before it is shipped back to Marksville, La.

Monetary donations would be used to help buy supplies, but also potentially to expand the council’s services to other parish seniors.

“We do have a waiting list for people who need home-delivered meals, people who need the homemaker service,” she said. “That would help us increase the number of clients in the service.”

At the senior centers, McDonald said the agency  offers bingo, but the seniors also make crafts and benefit from wellness programs.

The centers are located at 111 Texas Ave. in Ferriday behind Concordia Bank and at 411 Texas St. in Vidalia behind the old courthouse, where the Council on Aging’s main office is located.

McDonald said people could bring any items they wish to donate to one of the centers.

Checks can be mailed to Concordia Council of Aging, 405 Carter St., Vidalia, LA, 71373.

Interested volunteers can call the council at 318-336-7887.

Many seniors in this area need additional support, McDonald said, as the lack of jobs in the Miss-Lou has forced many of their children to other communities for work.

“Their families are not here anymore, and many seniors can’t drive anymore or get out and do the things they used to be able to do,” McDonald said. “We are trying to keep them having an independent life in their own home for as long as possible. That’s our main mission.”