Local and National Leaders Invited to Share Holistic Solutions to Support Senior Nutrition and Help Inform Policies to End Hunger in America
Arlington, VA, September 27, 2022 – Representatives from Meals on Wheels America, the national leadership organization dedicated to addressing senior hunger and isolation, are invited to participate in the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health on Wednesday, September 28, and play a critical role in advancing plans to eradicate hunger and dramatically improve the health of all Americans. Ellie Hollander, President and CEO at Meals on Wheels America, Patti Lyons, Meals on Wheels America Board Chair and President of Senior Citizens, Inc., and Carol Wright, a 10-year volunteer at Meals on Wheels of Central Maryland, will join the conference in person – the first of its kind in over 50 years – to advocate for seniors, one of America’s most vulnerable communities. Hundreds more from across the country will attend this historic event virtually.
Meals on Wheels America is honored to participate in this powerful, comprehensive federal effort with a bold goal of ending hunger by 2030. These local and national leaders will offer perspective around how we cannot solve hunger in America if we do not solve this issue for older Americans.
Our country is facing a looming senior hunger cliff as the need intensifies, philanthropic support wanes, COVID-related federal emergency funding phases out, and inflation reaches historic highs. During the conference, these representatives will call on Congress and the Administration to follow through on initiatives that solve for senior hunger, including two pivotal recommendations that have been longstanding policy priorities for Meals on Wheels America and are part of the National Strategy on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health announced today: (1) to increase funding for the Older Americans Act (OAA) Nutrition Program and (2) to expand Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries’ access to “food is medicine” interventions that would be available for older adults. Meals on Wheels America thanks the Administration for their recognition of senior hunger as a critical issue and the OAA Nutrition Program as an essential part of the solution.
“With thousands of Meals on Wheels programs reaching nearly every community in America, we have the infrastructure to help solve the issues of senior hunger and social isolation, which not only jeopardize the health and well-being of older adults, but also place a significant strain on our country’s healthcare system and economy,” said Ellie Hollander, President and CEO of Meals on Wheels America. “Older Americans Act Nutrition Programs, like Meals on Wheels, are designed specifically to meet the nutritional and social needs of our seniors, yet these successful public-private partnerships remain significantly underfunded. What we hope to see come out of the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health is increased funding across sectors to ensure that any senior in America who needs nutritious meals, gets them."
For more information about Meals on Wheels America, please visit www.mealsonwheelsamerica.org. To watch the conference live tomorrow, visit www.youtube.com/whitehouse.
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ABOUT MEALS ON WHEELS AMERICA
Meals on Wheels America is the leadership organization supporting the more than 5,000 community-based programs across the country that are dedicated to addressing senior isolation and hunger. This network serves 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.