After an illness and a hospital stay in 2006, Dorothy Link's family decided to sign her up for the Rocky Mountain Development Council's home-delivery service, which brings a hot meal to her home five days a week.

Link said she's doing better now, but she appreciates the generous portions - sometimes it's enough for two meals - and the short, friendly conversations that come with the food.

"It's sort of a bright spot in my day," the 88-year-old Helenan said Friday as she prepared to eat her pasty with gravy, vegetables, cake and milk. "It's something to look forward to. The delivery people are always very pleasant."

RMDC has performed the service in Helena since 1965, said Walt Hanley, Rocky's tri-county manager of nutrition, transportation and commodities. Including congregate meals served at senior centers here and in outlying areas, the agency serves between 36,000 and 40,000 nutritious meals to needy seniors every year.

A donation of $3.50 is suggested but not required - RMDC uses other funds to cover any shortfalls. "We need those people to eat," Hanley said. Some folks order extra meals to get them through the weekends.

People under 60 can get meals free if they're in the midst of a short-term crisis. If they need food for more than a few weeks, they can pay $5 per meal for the service.

On rounds Friday, white-haired women and potbellied men in rainbow-colored suspenders answered knocks at the door, some chatting briefly. Others offered simple thanks before heading to the kitchen table.

"A lot of them, we're the only people they see all day," driver Mickey Lynch said. "This is a great service.

"I don't know what they would do (without the meals). This keeps them out of nursing homes."

He delivered 96 meals Friday. Most of his customers live alone, though some couples ask for the food. Some folks lost the spouse who always cooked for them. Others simply don't have a way to get to the grocery store.

"You don't have to be on your death bed," Hanley said.

Sometimes Lynch comes upon a customer who's fallen or is otherwise ill. The home office calls family members or emergency dispatchers, and he waits for help to arrive.

RMDC also provides congregate meals to senior centers and home-delivered meals to residents in East Helena, Lincoln, Augusta, Townsend, Boulder and Whitehall.

The addition of a new state-of-the-art delivery truck this year, thanks to an allocation of $30,000 by Lewis and Clark County commissioners, allows RMDC to deliver meals to Helena Valley residents.

The new truck serves Helena while the agency's older van does valley rounds. The new service has about two dozen customers now, Hanley said. He'd like to see about 50 people on the rolls. Interested residents can call 447-1680 to sign up.

The new, specially equipped Ford Ranger keeps the cooked meals warm, using hot water from the engine to heat the 175-degree range in the truck bed. It also has a refrigerated unit for salads, fruit and drinks.

Expansion

Rocky Mountain Development Council is now delivering meals to Helena Valley residents five days a week. Senior citizens 60 and older are eligible, and a donation of $3.50 per meal is suggested but not required. Residents ages 50 to 59 can get free meals during short-term crises or pay $5 per meal for daily deliveries. Call 447-1680 to sign up.

Reporter Larry Kline: 447-4075 or larry.kline@helenair.com