Memphis, TN – May 2021 -- Meritan, Inc., the Mid-South’s leading non-profit provider of healthcare and social services for people in need, is celebrating its 60th anniversary. Founded in 1961 as a small agency to serve the unmet needs of senior citizens in Memphis, Meritan has grown into a multi-service organization offering an array of programs for homebound seniors, children living in foster care, victims of elder abuse, and people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, as well as senior employment opportunities.

“Meritan was founded as The Senior Citizens Center by a group of dedicated senior citizens who understood that seniors in our community often were overlooked when it came to needed services,” said Melanie Keller, Meritan’s president and chief executive officer. “Meritan has seen a great deal of change during these past six decades, including the expanded implementation of Medicare and Medicaid to the growth of home and community-based healthcare and social services. The need for these critical services has grown exponentially and Meritan has grown also to meet those needs.”

Meritan now ranks as the second-largest social services agency in the Memphis and Mid-South area, but its mission has remained the same. “We continue to care for the most vulnerable citizens among us and we do that in their own homes,” said Keller. “And we will continue to respond to those who need us with quality and compassionate care.”

Meritan’s services focus mostly on skilled in-home healthcare and support services for seniors and residential services for disabled adults, and elder abuse services. In addition, Meritan’s team of healthcare workers this year began administering COVID-19 vaccinations for homebound seniors as well as COVID-19 testing. Meritan also provides case management services to special needs foster children in Arkansas, Georgia, Tennesse and in Mississippi under the name Apelah.

“As other agencies closed when the pandemic hit, Meritan forged ahead to seamlessly provide its services while also fulfilling the need to protect and vaccinate so many of our citizens who are unable to help themselves,” said Casondra Amos, vice president of Meritan’s Home and Community-Based Services. “That’s just one reason why Meritan is such a great organization and how vital its services are to our community.’’

Learn more about Meritan's 60th Anniversary!