Arlington, VA, March 30, 2016 – Meals on Wheels America President and CEO Ellie Hollander today joined Assistant Secretary for Aging Kathy Greenlee at the Kuehner House, a low-income senior living facility operated by one of Washington, D.C.’s largest nonprofits So Others Might Eat (SOME), to meet with the people who rely on Older Americans Act (OAA) Nutrition Program funding to stay healthy and independent. Also in attendance were leaders from the National Association of Nutrition and Aging Services Programs (NANASP), the National Council on Aging (NCOA) and D.C. government.
“As the longest-serving Assistant Secretary for Aging in history, Kathy Greenlee has been a tireless leader for our nation’s seniors and champion of the OAA,” said Ellie Hollander, President and CEO of Meals on Wheels America. “It was an honor to join her and other aging leaders to once again celebrate and see firsthand how OAA Nutrition Programs are improving health and quality of life.”
The event was organized to recognize the March anniversary of President Nixon signing into law an amendment to the OAA which established a national nutrition program for seniors. Distinguished guests at the Kuehner House witnessed the power of OAA support through touring the facilities, participating in a group exercise class and gathering with the seniors while they ate lunch.
Each March, Meals on Wheels America leads the annual March for Meals to honor the OAA Nutrition Program anniversary. The national awareness campaign seeks to mobilize local Meals on Wheels programs in communities across the country, to rally support they need to deliver the nutritious meals, friendly visits and safety checks to America’s most vulnerable seniors. SOME is a Member of Meals on Wheels America.
Meals on Wheels America also hosts the National Resource Center on Nutrition and Aging as part of a cooperative agreement with the Administration on Aging. The online resource is designed to assist the national aging network, including local nutrition programs, national associations, and state and regional agencies involved with aging, in the implementation of the nutrition portions of the OAA.
About Meals on Wheels America
Meals on Wheels America is the oldest and largest national organization supporting the more than 5,000 community-based programs across the country that are dedicated to addressing senior isolation and hunger. This network exists in virtually every community in America and, along with more than two million staff and volunteers, delivers the nutritious meals, friendly visits and safety checks that enable America’s seniors to live nourished lives with independence and dignity. By providing funding, leadership, education, research and advocacy support, Meals on Wheels America empowers its local member programs to strengthen their communities, one senior at a time. For more information, or to find a Meals on Wheels provider near you, visit www.mealsonwheelsamerica.org.
Contact:
Jenny Bertolette
571-339-1603
jenny@mealsonwheelsamerica.org