Benefits · Nutrition
How to apply for Senior Connection Center Senior Meals + ADRC Services (Polk)
Senior Connection Center, Inc. (SCC) — Area Agency on Aging + ADRC for PSA 6 (Hillsborough, Polk, Manatee, Highlands, Hardee)
Who it's for
Senior Connection Center, Inc. (SCC) is the nonprofit Area Agency on Aging and Aging and Disability Resource Center designated by the Florida Department of Elder Affairs for Planning and Service Area 6 — covering Hillsborough, Polk, Manatee, Highlands, and Hardee counties. SCC has served older adults and people with disabilities in this five-county region for more than 40 years. For Polk residents, SCC coordinates Older Americans Act Title III nutrition through contracted local meal providers: congregate dining at senior centers across Lakeland, Winter Haven, Bartow, Lake Wales, and other communities, and home-delivered Meals on Wheels for seniors who cannot prepare meals or attend a congregate site. The SCC Elder Helpline at 1-800-336-2226 is the integrated entry point for the full PSA 6 senior service portfolio — calling triggers a phone-based needs assessment by SCC's Long-Term Care team to determine which programs and services are appropriate. Eligibility is age 60+ and Polk residency for congregate meals; home-delivered additionally requires functional documentation of homebound status or inability to prepare meals.
Congregate meals require only age 60+ and Polk residency — call the SCC Elder Helpline at 1-800-336-2226 to be referred to a Polk meal site. Home-delivered meals additionally require documented homebound status or inability to prepare meals — an SCC case manager makes that determination through a phone-based assessment, and most service categories operate a prioritized client list (waitlist). There is no income or asset test for OAA services, but participants are offered the option to contribute voluntarily based on means; no one is denied for inability to pay. SCC's Long-Term Care team conducts the intake assessment over the phone — a useful accessibility feature for Polk seniors who can't easily travel to an office.
What you'll need
- Proof of age 60+ (Florida driver's license, Florida ID, or birth certificate)
- Proof of Polk County residency (utility bill, lease, or government correspondence)
- For home-delivered meals: documentation supporting homebound status or functional inability to prepare meals (typically a physician's note or SCC case manager assessment)
Where to apply
Apply online: official application
By phone: 1-800-336-2226
Renewals
annual reassessment by SCC case manager
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Find my benefitsNot legal or financial advice. The agency makes the final eligibility decision.