A recent purchase for the Luverne Nutrition Center represents a prime example of worthwhile government spending in an area of need within Crenshaw County.

The Crenshaw County Commission, working through the Investing in Alabama Counties Program used funding provided via the American Rescue Plan to acquire a 2022 Ford 10-passenger van as a replacement for a 2006 model previously used by the center.

The center will use the van to deliver food to local seniors who need it. Approximately 70 meals are distributed daily by the center, of which 30 are for homebound seniors.

According to Windell Smith, who drives the van for the center, the old van did not have a functioning air conditioner in the summer or heater in the winter, which we can imagine makes for some uncomfortable and physically-taxing deliveries for Smith and those Center serves.

For any agency or entity to function properly, the proper tools, resources, and equipment are needed in order to get the job done. It would be a disservice to our seniors to cram them into a van ill-equipped to keep them from overheating in the summer or freezing in the winter, and we commend Luverne Nutrition Center and the commission for their efforts in upgrading a vital piece of equipment to better serve those in our community who need this service.

Regardless how one may feel about politics or government-related spending, we consider this purchase to be money well spent, and we hope the new van will help serve many more of our seniors in need of a nutritious meal.