this is the 16th in a series of stories highlighting charitable giving and the agencies in need in the Miss-Lou.

VIDALIA — Things are going to be a little easier for the Concordia Council on Aging in a couple of years, but they can still use your help.

Voters passed a 4-mil tax proposal to support the Council on Aging earlier this year, but they won’t see any of the money from that until the spring of 2010, Council Director Dorothy McDonald said.

“It will be great when we get it — we will be able to take care of our waiting list,” she said.

But until that time comes — and even after, the council needs donations, anything from money and material goods to time volunteered.

“It is hard to find people who can volunteer with the folks at the centers,” McDonald said.

Anyone who can help with crafts or exercise programs, or who wants to present an informational or entertainment program is welcomed would be appreciated, she said.

Supplies that can be donated to the meal sites include napkins and paper towels.

“Toilet tissue is a commodity that is always needed,” McDonald said.

The council provides activities and meals at two congregate locations in the parish, and they deliver hot meals to shut-ins.

They also provide limited transportation to seniors, and when fuel and other prices skyrocketed earlier this year, the council had to cut back on the extent to which they could provide their services.

“I would like to hire a van driver,” McDonald said. “The expenses are down but not enough to warrant the hiring of another driver.”

If the council’s insurance company would approve it, McDonald said someone with the appropriate license could volunteer as a driver.

For more information about the Council on Aging, call 318-336-7887.