Patti Ward Slater, owner of Ward’s Store, has been serving a free Christmas dinner for many years to locals if they are going to be alone on Christmas Day.
Last year Salter served 96 people inside her business which serves daily breakfast and noon meals, bakery items, wide variety of coffee options and has for sale many South Dakota made items. This year due to the pandemic she is only allowing 30 people inside for the meal due to social distancing requirements. Many meals will be picked up at curbside and taken back home to be enjoyed.
Salter also serves a free meal to veterans on Veterans Day and has been doing this for many years as well.
60’s Plus is part of the I-Cap program administered through the county and includes Meals on Wheels in and around De Smet. ATI Account Executive Brian Bindert has helped with this on different occasions.
Ward’s Store, local eatery in De Smet, prepares the meals.
The meals cost $3.90, but some recipients can’t afford that amount.
During the pandemic, more seniors are staying at home so the Meals on Wheels program has been especially beneficial since they are not getting out to purchase groceries as much to cook at home plus the cost of groceries stresses some of the peoples budgets. I-Cap will accept whatever the recipients can offer, even if under the established price of $3.90 per meal.