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COUNTY COMMISSIONER AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS HELP RAISE AWARENESS FOR MEALS ON WHEELS AND THE NEEDS OF DURHAM SENIORS
CITY AND COUNTY PROCLAMATION CELEBRATES A SPECIAL 50TH ANNIVERSARY MARCH FOR MEALS
Meals on Wheels Durham held its Champions Day of Service on Monday, March 21 with Council Member Leonardo Williams, Council Member Javiera Caballero, and County Commissioner Heidi Carter in recognition of the 2022 March for Meals Community Champions Week. This national week of celebration honors the 50th anniversary of the Older Americans Act Nutrition Program, the federal legislation that helps to fund community-based programs like Meals on Wheels Durham. Across the country this week, elected officials, local celebrities, and other prominent figures are delivering meals, speaking out against food insecurity and social isolation, and raising awareness for Meals on Wheels.
“Thank you to Council Members Williams and Caballero, and Commissioner Carter for showing up today to get a glimpse of just how important the work we do is at Meals on Wheels Durham,” said Jason Peace, Executive Director at Meals on Wheels Durham. “They saw firsthand how crucial our volunteers are to our everyday operations and learned how impactful daily visits are to older adults.”
In Durham, the elected officials interacted with veteran volunteers, learned about Meals on Wheels Durham’s operations serving over 600 older adults each week, and Council Member Caballero delivered meals to 14 clients.
In addition, Meals on Wheels received a pair of proclamations from The City of Durham and Durham County declaring March 2022 as a month to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Older Americans Act Nutrition Program and honor MOWD for its contributions to the community.
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 year, Meals on Wheels programs from across the country are joining forces for the awareness campaign to celebrate 50 years of success and garner the support needed to ensure these critical programs can continue to address food insecurity and malnutrition, combat social isolation, enable independence, and improve health for years to come.
“We commend all of our 2022 Community Champions for stepping up in support of Meals on Wheels amid such an unprecedented time in our nation’s history,” said Ellie Hollander, President and CEO of Meals on Wheels America. “Despite decades of proven success and bipartisan support, funding for this program has failed to keep pace with the rapidly growing need for its services. With the nation’s senior population increasing dramatically, now is the time to support local Meals on Wheels programs – through volunteering, donating and speaking out – to ensure we are able to deliver for another 50 years.”
For more information on how you can get involved in Durham, visit www.mowdurham.org.