Melissa Langford
Communication Coordinator
Meals on Wheels – Anderson
864-225-6800
melissa@acmow.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
COMMUNITY CHAMPIONS HELP RAISE AWARENESS FOR Meals on Wheels – Anderson AND THE NEEDS OF Anderson County SENIORS
Anderson, SC March 18-22, 2019 – Meals on Wheels will welcome Community Champions, Rep. Jonathon Hill, County Councilman Craig Wooten, County Councilwoman Grace Floyd, and County Councilman Tommy Dunn, this week to prepare or deliver meals in honor of the 2019 March for Meals Community Champions Week. Across the country this week, Meals on Wheels programs have enlisted elected officials, local celebrities and other prominent figures to deliver meals, speak out for seniors and raise awareness for the power of Meals on Wheels.
Meals on Wheels – Anderson Executive Director, Laurie Ashley, states, “It is our pleasure to welcome local elected officials to Meals on Wheels this week. Every elderly and disabled homebound resident of Anderson County deserves the opportunity to be cared for through the delivery of a hot meal and the attention of a caring volunteer. We appreciate each of the Community Champions who will lend their voices and hands to raising awareness of senior hunger and isolation.”
The annual March for Meals commemorates the historic day in March 1972 when President Nixon signed into law a measure that amended the Older Americans Act of 1965 and established a national nutrition program for seniors 60 years and older. Since 2002, Meals on Wheels programs from across the country have joined forces for the annual awareness campaign to celebrate this successful public-private partnership and garner the support needed to fill the gap between the seniors served and those still in need.
“We commend all of our 2019 Community Champions for stepping up in support of Meals on Wheels,” said Ellie Hollander, President and CEO of Meals on Wheels America. “With 12,000 Americans turning 60 each day, now is the time to invest in these vital programs so that we can provide every senior in need with the nutritious meals, friendly visits and safety checks that will enable them to live healthier and independent in their own homes.”
For more information on how you can volunteer, contribute or speak out for the seniors in Anderson County this March, visit www.acmow.org
About Meals on Wheels – Anderson
Meals on Wheels – Anderson is dedicated to facing senior hunger and isolation. Meals on Wheels recipients are characterized by the inability to access food and physical or mental disabilities preventing them from preparing food for themselves. They live alone or with another disabled person. Most are 65 and older but those younger than 65 who are disabled, homebound and unable to access food are also eligible. Volunteers, numbering over 80 each week day, pack meals and drive 40 routes as they reach out to their neighbors. They offer more than a meal, as their smile and greeting help alleviate the isolation that so many seniors face. The safety, well-being and overall health of recipients are positively affected by their participation in Meals on Wheels and the relationships which develop between volunteers and recipients. The primary objectives of our program are the feeding of as many of the elderly and/or disabled homebound in Anderson County as funding allows and the pursuit of additional resources to increase our reach in the community to all who need Meals on Wheels. Currently hot meals are delivered to approximately 400 recipients each weekday.