RAPID CITY, SD — Meals on Wheels was joined today by representatives from Minneluzahan Senior Center, City Councilwomen Lindsey Seachris and Laura Armstrong, and dozens of local seniors and volunteers in honor of the grand opening of Meals on Wheels’ new kitchen location in Rapid City.

“This new kitchen is more than a facility – it’s a promise to our community that no homebound neighbor will go without a hot meal or a friendly face.” said Executive Director of Meals on Wheels Western South Dakota, George Larson, “Partnering with Minneluzahan Senior Center allows us to do more, serve more, and care more.”

Larson was joined in the celebration by Laura Armstrong, a returning face to Rapid City’s council and Executive Director of Minneluzahan, as well as representatives of Elevate Rapid City.

Following the event, Larson gave a tour of the facilities, which included considerable preparation and kitchen space for the creation of the 1,000 daily hot meals Meals On Wheels delivers to local seniors, veterans, and individuals with disabilities in the region. Among the new additions are nearly 60 linear feet of refrigeration space, five separate ovens, and a “tilt braiser”, a device used in some commercial kitchens which can function as a griddle, steamer, and mass-quantity soup pot, with a total capacity of around 40 gallons.

Larson reported that that with this new addition, the regional program may be able to increase output, bringing potentially up to 1500 meals to homebound people in need in the future.