Effective March 13, Warren County’s Hackettstown, Washington, and North Warren congregate nutrition sites will be closed for activities and congregate meals until further notice.

All residents who already were recipients of home-delivered meals will receive their meals as normal. Recipients are asked to remain in their residences to accept the meal delivery.

Warren County Human Services Department announced the measure in an effort to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus.

“We are taking these actions out of an abundance of caution for our residents,” said Freeholder James R. Kern III, freeholder liaison to the Health, Human Services, and Public Safety departments. “We don’t make these decisions lightly and are doing everything we can to make sure seniors continue to receive the meals that they count on daily.”

Effective Monday, March 16, the Division will be arranging biweekly meal delivery to the consumers of congregate nutrition who have requested a meal delivery and those who currently receive home delivered meals. Arrangements are being made to deliver a supply that includes a combination of frozen meals and shelf stable meals for every congregate and home-delivered meal consumer who is currently registered with the division, through an alternating delivery schedule across the county.

In addition, the division will be obtaining an additional supply of frozen meals and shelf stable meals to be used for senior consumers in need. The congregate meal sites in Hackettstown, North Warren, and Washington will be our local meal distribution facilities for the interim period to help us package and deliver the meals. They will not be operational for any senior programs including health and wellness initiatives.

Senior residents who receive meals are advised to contact the division to cancel, change or report any concerns related to delivery of their scheduled meals.

The Division of Aging is not accepting new applicants at the congregate nutrition sites at this time due to temporary site closures. However, their information will be obtained and individuals placed on a waiting list to be contacted once the sites reopen. If senior residents in the county are in need of emergency meals, please reach out to the division.

Phillipsburg Senior Center Updates:  Phillipsburg senior center will be closed for the week of March 16, 2020. However, their staff has indicated that meals will be delivered to the consumers who have been registered to attend their congregate nutrition site during their closure next week.