News file photo The Alpena Senior Citizens Center

ALPENA — There’s an egg-cellent way to give back this Easter.

HPC Credit Union, Wolverine State Credit Union, and Alpena Community Credit Union are partnering with the Alpena Senior Citizens Center to raise money for the Meals on Wheels program.

The program serves 69,000 meals to seniors in Alpena County every year, Annie Hepburn, Alpena Senior Citizens Center director, said.

Meals are delivered right to the homes of seniors that cannot get around easily anymore.

“Meals on Wheels is offered here at the senior center for individuals that might not be able to get food, or they might have other physical needs that might make it harder for them, and so we deliver the meals to them,” Hepburn said.

Anyone 60 years old and older, living in Alpena County, can participate in the program. Food is delivered based on different need levels, Hepburn said.

To support the fundraiser, individuals can visit any of the participating credit unions, or the senior center, and give a minimum donation of $5 for an egg. Each egg contains candy, and in some cases, a special prize. Proceeds from the eggs will go directly to the Meals on Wheels program.

According to Hepburn, eggs will be sold through April 10 this year. She also said that community members should keep an eye out for announcements for when the Easter Bunny will visit participating locations.

“With the increase of food and supply cost and with our funding sources never being promised, it’s important that we are always able to feed our seniors in our county,” Hepburn said.

The Meals on Wheels program is not fully funded by the Alpena County’s senior services millage, so additional funds need to be raised each year, according to Hepburn.

The senior center’s partnership with local credit unions for the Easter fundraiser has been happening for about three years, she said. The fundraiser has helped raise between $3,000 to $4,000 each year.

The goal this year is to raise $3,500.

Hepburn explained that the amount of money that the fundraiser has raised has been affected the past two years by back-to-back ice storms. When businesses are closed, it doesn’t allow the senior center to get as many donations, Hepburn said.

“Any dollar matters because it makes a difference in a senior’s life,” Hepburn said.

Reagan Voetberg. News Staff Writer. rvoetberg@TheAlpenaNews.com.