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Nearly 150 senior citizens without Meals on Wheels deliveries in Natrona Heights after pipe burst

NATRONA HEIGHTS, Pa. — Dangerous cold experienced last Tuesday is having long-term effects on the Meals on Wheels operation in Natrona Heights.

Nearly 150 senior citizens are not receiving their Meals on Wheels deliveries because the nonprofit group’s kitchen is in bad shape, creating a sense of urgency among firefighters and volunteers to make repairs.

Channel 11’s Brandon Hudson learned that the cold weather caused a pipe to freeze and burst in the kitchen last Thursday morning.

“It was a mess. Water everywhere – damage, ceiling coming down,” said Citizens Hose firefighter Bob Griffin.Until all of the repairs are completed, the organization cannot deliver meals to the roughly 150 people who rely on them in the Natrona Heights/Highlands area.“We have to get this up and running because there are people out there that depend on these meals,” said Griffin.

A crew from the Citizens Hose Volunteer Company worked with neighbors to get operations back to normal, repairing the ceiling in several rooms of the Meals on Wheels building.

Griffin said the Citizens Hose fire hall, which is next door to Meals on Wheels, also suffered water damage.

“We had damage come over in our building, but they’re a priority first,” said Griffin.

A Citizens Hose firefighter told Hudson that they hope to complete the repairs this week.

In the meantime, Meals on Wheels is working with a local hospital and the Highlands School District to at least deliver cold meals to senior citizens.