President and CEO Ellie Hollander Hosted Panel
Discussion About OAA Reauthorization and Opportunities for This
Crucial Legislation to Better Address the Pervasive Challenges of
Senior Hunger and Isolation
ARLINGTON, Va., May 17, 2024
/PRNewswire/ -- Meals on Wheels America – the leadership
organization supporting the around 5,000 community-based programs
across the country that are dedicated to addressing senior hunger
and isolation – recognized Older Americans Month on Capitol Hill
Wednesday, May 15 by hosting a
congressional briefing, "Opportunities to Improve Senior Nutrition
and Social Connection in the OAA Reauthorization: Perspectives
from Community Providers."
The organization's President and CEO Ellie Hollander moderated a panel discussion of
local Meals on Wheels program leaders to discuss recommendations
for the OAA reauthorization that would strengthen and improve
senior nutrition and social connection services. Senator
Bob Casey, Chair of the Senate
Special Committee on Aging, also spoke at the briefing, sharing the
importance of Meals on Wheels programs and emphasizing the need for
greater funding and flexibility for the OAA. The following, who are
leaders from local Meals on Wheels programs and members of the
Meals on Wheels America Board of Directors, joined Hollander for
the panel:
- Patti Lyons: President of Senior
Citizens, Inc. in Savannah, GA and
Chair of the Meals on Wheels America Board of Directors
- LuAnn Oatman: President and CEO
of Berks Encore in Reading, PA and
Vice Chair of the Meals on Wheels America Board of Directors
- Sandra Noe: CEO of Meals on
Wheels of Northwest Indiana in
Merrillville, IN and Meals on
Wheels America Board of Directors Member
Approaching its 60-year anniversary, the OAA continues to
successfully deliver on its original intent to address hunger,
promote socialization and improve health and well-being, and has
shown great resiliency and adaptability through challenging times,
including a global pandemic. As its reauthorization approaches,
Meals on Wheels America recommends the following to further enhance
the support and services provided to older adults:
- Increasing authorized funding levels across all OAA programs,
with an emphasis on closing the existing needs gap for nutrition
services as more than 12 million older Americans are currently
facing hunger, and one in three local Meals on Wheels programs has
a waitlist with seniors waiting on average three months for meals
due to rising costs and lack of funding
- Unifying the Congregate and Home-Delivered Nutrition Services
under a single Title III-C Nutrition Program and funding stream,
which would improve efficiency and enable local providers to more
easily tailor services to seniors' needs
- Prioritizing community-based organizations for nutrition
services contracts and grants, as local providers deliver a
holistic service that starts with a meal and opens the door to so
much more, leading to better health outcomes for seniors
In her opening remarks, Meals on Wheels America President and
CEO Ellie Hollander said,
"Fundamentally, our recommendations are about serving more seniors
and serving them better. Critical elements to reaching this goal
include sufficient funding to meet growing need, functional
flexibilities to enable local providers to be more responsive and
meet seniors where they are, and a focus on community-based
organizations that are trusted, know their communities best and are
vested in their success."
Senator Casey further highlighted the value of Meals on Wheels
programs and the need for greater congressional support. "Over and
over again, we hear about the direct impact that you have on the
lives of so many individual Americans. You become, in essence, the
only person that some individuals will see in the course of a week
or month, and the value of that is, in a word, incalculable."
Speaking to the temporary support provided during the pandemic, he
said, "It shouldn't take a once in a century public health crisis
to urge us to do the right thing when it comes to funding and
flexibility."
During the Q&A portion, panelists shared stories that
painted a vivid picture of the difference Meals on Wheels makes to
seniors in need and discussed the challenges their local programs
are currently facing without increased resources. "Every penny more
it costs to make a meal is fewer meals that we can provide. There's
higher demand and it's costing more. I know very few programs
across the country that haven't been affected. Please don't make us
take somebody off this program, because we know what it means for
them," shared Meals on Wheels America Board Chair Patti Lyons.
Read more about Meals on Wheels America's OAA
reauthorization priorities and recommendations. To learn more about
how Meals on Wheels opens the door to addressing nutrition, social
connection, safety and so much more,
visit www.mealsonwheelsamerica.org.
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 hunger and
isolation. Powered by a dedicated volunteer workforce, this network
delivers a comprehensive solution that begins with a meal and is
proven to enable independence and well-being through the additional
benefits of tailored nutrition, social connection, safety and much
more. By providing funding, programming, education, research and
advocacy, 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.
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SOURCE Meals on Wheels America