March for Meals by Meals on Wheels

Help Senior Citizens with Volunteer Home-Delivery Program Fundraiser

Mar 5, 2008 Janienne Jennrich

Meals On Wheels, a volunteer home-delivery senior citizen nutrition program, needs help with its fundraiser, "March For Meals" and "Mayors for Meals" awareness campaigns.

The senior citizen nutrition charity Meals on Wheels hosts March for Meals fundraising and awareness events during the month of March. Everyone and every community in the U.S. can help with this event to raise money and awareness for a worthy cause to help elderly and other seniors in need of food deliveries.

Most Americans are aware of the Meals on Wheels program, or are vaguely aware that it delivers meals to homebound senior citizens. The program does, in fact, deliver nutritious meals to homebound seniors and much more.

What Does Meals on Wheels Do?

According to their website "The mission of Meals On Wheels Association of America is to provide visionary leadership and professional training and to develop partnerships that will ensure the provision of quality nutrition services."

Meals On Wheels Association of America (MOWAA) helps senior citizens in many ways:

MOWAA works to better the social, physical, nutritional, and economic lives of vulnerable Americans.
Meals On Wheels provides information and tools needed to make a difference in the lives of others.
The national charitable organization also gives cash grants to local senior meal programs. These Meals on Wheels grants are given throughout the country to help provide meals and other nutrition services.

Meals On Wheels is the "oldest and largest organization in the United States representing those who provide meal services to people in need." (MOWAA website) And, sadly, they are running short on money.

Senior Meal Programs Running Short of Funding

Because seniors over 85 are in the largest growing U.S. age group and (according to a Census Bureau projection) the population of elderly in the United States will more than double by the year 2050, senior food programs are struggling financially. Add to this the fact that Baby Boomers are approaching retirement age, and one can see there will great need for programs like Meals on Wheels to provide much home-bound senior citizen nutrition.

However, Meals On Wheels programs are more in danger than ever before. Currently four out of ten Meals On Wheels programs have seniors in need on waiting lists and some MOW chapters are facing bankruptcy.

Meals on Wheels “March for Meals” Fundraiser to Help Seniors

March for Meals, a yearly fundraiser, has grown slowly. The hope of those at the Meals on Wheels charity is that this will be the year that March for Meals their will “be a great leap in the progress” for this fundraising campaign.

March for Meals is a nationwide campaign which varies in nature in each local community. Some of the fundraising and awareness events held in March by individual chapters have been spaghetti dinners, marching in a St. Patrick’s Day parade, posting “call to action” messages at schools and businesses, a radio telethon, educational and awareness programs to seniors and children, and involving local mayors to promote the organization.

Mayors Can Help Provide Meals for Seniors

The senior citizen nutrition program is asking local mayors across the United States to become involved in this non-profit fundraiser.

Each mayor will help local food programs deliver meals in their area on March 19, 2008. The goal for of the Mayors for Meals component of March for Meals 2008 is to get 1000 mayors signed up to help bring extra local and media attention to the March for Meals campaign. This is expected to be have large local and national press coverage.

1084 Mayors are Signed Up to Deliver Meals - Is your Mayor on the List? WOW!

To help or join in on a March for Meals senior citizen program for Meals on Wheels, senior nutrition groups, mayors, or individuals may contact Meals on Wheels Association of America website for information and resources.

Please also see Active Seniors Unique Adventures, Senior Citizen Fitness Activities, and Gift Tips for Less Active Seniors.

The copyright of the article March for Meals by Meals on Wheels in Seniors/Grandparents is owned by Janienne Jennrich. Permission to republish March for Meals by Meals on Wheels in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Fresh Baked Biscuits