The Evolution Of CHEER
The Birth of a Mission
DATE: July 23, 1971
LOCATION: Seaford, Delaware
FOUNDERS: Rev. Dr. Milton Keene & Mrs. Keene
In the summer of 1971, a small but determined group gathered at the Methodist Manor House in Seaford to solve a growing crisis: the isolation of Sussex County’s rural seniors. Led by Rev. Dr. Milton Keene, the organization was officially incorporated as Sussex County Home Services, Inc.
The Original Vision: While many today know CHEER as a logistics powerhouse for nutrition and transport, Rev. Keene’s initial vision was deeply spiritual and social. He chose the name C.H.E.E.R. to stand for:
- Companionship
- Hope
- Eating
- Experience
- Renewal
A Humble Start: The agency’s first “office” was little more than a shared space and a list of volunteers. Their first task? Identifying seniors who were “hidden” in the rural stretches of the county—those who had plenty of “golden years” left but no way to get to a doctor or a grocery store.
From the Founders: “We didn’t just want to give them a meal,” Rev. Keene noted in an early 1970s interview. “We wanted to give them a reason to get up in the morning. We wanted to bring the community to their doorstep.”
CHEER BY THE DECADES – FROM THE 70s TO THE FUTURE