SVCOA Joins in Month-Long March for Meals Celebration with Communities Nationwide Support Will Help To Fight Senior Hunger And Isolation I Rutland And Bennington Counties

SVCOA announced today that it will be participating in the 21st annual March for Meals – a monthlong, nationwide celebration of Meal on Wheels and our senior neighbors who rely on this essential service to remain healthy and independent at home, now even more so amid a lingering pandemic and high inflation.

Please see below a power statement from one of our Board of Directors of the Southwestern Vermont Council on Aging (SVCOA).

“As you may know, there is a growing number of older Vermonters and the state’s population. Of those 60 years of age or older now stands at twenty-eight percent (VDOH 2021). Worth repeating - 28%!

I am a volunteer driver for the Meals-on-Wheels Program based in Bennington. My delivery route takes me to clients in South Shaftsbury and North Bennington. When delivering to one of my clients recently, she asked me to put the food in her refrigerator. Other than what I put in there, there was little else. Think of it as a large, empty, white box. You may have noticed the same thing as you visit with your homebound.

The Meals-on-Wheels Program is growing, underfunded and has taken a serious blow with the current wave of inflation a ecting food costs. State financial and other types of state resources that can be directed to help alleviate these adverse e ects and boost the number of clients the Program can serve - those in a similar situation as my client noted abovewould be greatly appreciated.”

During 2021, SVCOA provided over 189,000 meals to older Vermonters through both homedelivered and congregate meals. In 2022, SVCOA provided over 200,000 meals. In 2023, the demand for these services have already exceeded our funding allotment. We have been in awe of the outpouring of support so far, however, there is still so much we can do to ensure everyone in need of our vital lifeline can benefit from being well-nourished and more connected to our community through this challenging time and beyond.

The annual March for Meals celebration commemorates the historic day in March of 1972 when President Nixon signed into law a measure that amended the Older Americans Act of 1965 to include a national nutrition program for seniors 60 years and older. This critical support and federal funding has fueled the growth of the Meals on Wheels network for more than 50 years.

During the month, communitybased Meals on Wheels programs from across the country will join forces for the annual awareness campaign to celebrate this successful public-private partnership and garner the resources needed to reach every senior in need of a nutritious meal, friendly visit and safety check.

“March is an important time for us to come together to ensure that Meals on Wheels is there for all of our senior neighbors in need,” said Ellie Hollander, President and CEO of Meals on Wheels America. “The demand for services is already great and approximately 12,000 Americans are turning 60 every day. We must maintain and expand the programs that have helped so many get through this unprecedented time in our nation’s history. We can’t do it alone. It takes all of us to keep the nationwide Meals on Wheels movement going.”

For more information on how you can volunteer, contribute or speak out for the seniors in Rutland and Bennington counties this March, visit SVCOA.org

Your friends and neighbors, SVCOA

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