SPAN & Meals on Wheels Celebrate 50 Years of Love

Through a combination of the League of Women Voters, some University of North Texas students, the Kiwanis Club of Denton, and area government leaders, an organization to provide transportation to seniors was launched. 

Originally called Services Programs for Aging Needs in 1974, for many years and to many people, it has just been SPAN — which celebrates 50 years of service in 2024. 

The students were part of the UNT Center for Studies in Aging, and they applied for and received a grant from what was called the Older Americans Act. Kiwanis members signed a bank note for $8,000 to pay for initial vehicles, which turned out not to be needed when the Denton City Council and Denton County Commissioners kicked in $4,000 each. That purchased the original fleet of three trolleys, one diesel bus, six lift-equipped vans, three regular vans, and four station wagons driven by 19 drivers. 

By 1976, SPAN was incorporated as a non-profit organization. That same year, another grant launched the Meals on Wheels of Denton County initiative, originally providing free home-delivered meals. 

In the late 1980s, SPAN moved into offices and a maintenance building on 1,124 acres of land on Malone Street just north of University Avenue in Denton, which had been donated by the Rayzor family. Then in the 2000s, Senior Paws was added to collect and deliver food for those Meals on Wheels clients with pets.

Today, the three programs ensure Denton County residents age 60 and above and their pets, those with disabilities, and military veterans get the help they need. This includes meal service being extended to a growing number of senior centers and senior living communities.

“Our aim is to get people where they need to go,” said Michelle McMahon, executive director since 2018. “Our mission always has been serving seniors and people with disabilities, and transportation is a big need for that population.”

SPAN provides non-emergency transportation within Denton County that is outside the Denton County Transportation Authority’s Denton-to-Lewisville service area. Trips can be for routine medical appointments, grocery shopping, and visits to area senior centers. 

SPAN receives about 70% of its annual budget from federal agencies. The remainder comes from a combination of corporate and community groups, grants, and individual donations. 

To help raise funds in a more formal setting, the fourth-annual Masquerade Gala — with a Glitz and Glamour theme — will be held March 23 at the Courtyard by Marriott in Flower Mound. Additional events to commemorate the 50th anniversary, including a late spring open house, will be announced throughout the year. 

Senior Paws receives no money, relying instead on donated pet food brought to peoples’ homes on the third Saturday of each month by volunteers. 

“With our seniors, it’s not just needing the meal. They need companionship,” McMahon said. “That’s where the pets come in, and that’s where the volunteers come in. They represent a connection to the community, someone to check on them. Sometimes they represent a life-saving service.”

In the last two years, both ridership and meal deliveries have grown about 25% each. In the first three months of this fiscal year, it’s gone up another 15%. 

“So, the rate of growth is now greater than it’s ever been,” McMahon said. “Denton County is a great place to live and grow older.”

Such growth is directly connected to that being experienced by Denton County itself. To help provide funding to meet that increased demand, Frankie Lynn Moon, owner of Baskets by Frankie Lynn, was recently hired as SPAN’s first development director, promoting the organization throughout the county. 

“I’m proud of our staff because as we keep growing, they keep stretching because they believe in the mission so much,” McMahon said. 

McMahon also is proud that Meals on Wheels has been able to maintain a zero-wait list, in large part due to those 75 overall staff and 250+ volunteers. 

“We get them assessed real fast, and if they qualify, right on the program,” she said. “There’s no waiting, which you don’t see with all Meals on Wheels providers. That’s something we’ve made a priority.”

More volunteers would be very welcome, McMahon said. Interested people can visit the span-transit.org website or call 940-382-2224.