In the photo: Representative Charlie Dent, Pam Bechtel, Executive Director, Meals on Wheels of Lehigh County; Michele Grasso, Director of Development & Communications, Meals on Wheels of Lehigh County; & JoAnn Nenow, Executive Director, Meals on Wheels of Northampton County
Meals On Wheels Of Lehigh, Northampton Counties Urge Legislators To #SaveLunch By Delivering Personal Messages From Homebound Clients
Effort part of nationwide campaign to protect vital Meals on Wheels funding
Allentown, PA, August 16, 2017 – Meals on Wheels of Lehigh and Northampton Counties joined local Meals on Wheels programs from across the country in a coordinated paper plate delivery designed to send a powerful message to Congress about the impact of Meals on Wheels. Throughout the week of August 14, home-delivered and congregate meal programs have been delivering stacks of paper plates bearing handwritten notes directly to their Members of Congress, calling for the protection and increase of critical federal funding sources for Meals on Wheels.
The agencies delivered almost 400 paper plates conveying personal messages from the seniors and adults with disabilities the Agency serves to Representative Charlie Dent and Senator Pat Toomey’s staff.
“We know that our clients rely on us and are appreciative of the meals they receive as well as the volunteers who deliver them,” said JoAnn Bergeron Nenow, Executive Director of Meals On Wheels of Northampton County. “But when you read all the heartfelt messages that our clients shared on these plates about how much our program has helped them avoid hunger and stay in their own homes, it’s overwhelming and humbling all at once. We need our legislators to understand the depth of food insecurity that our clients face every day. These plates will help them understand.”
“The paper plates returned to us were filled with poignant messages from our clients,” said Pam Bechtel, Executive Director at Meals on Wheels of Lehigh County. Handwritten on paper plates, the notes collectively tell a story about the Meals on Wheels service and its value — not only providing home-delivered meals but human contact, too. “When our legislators read comments like, ‘Thanks to Meals on Wheels, I won’t starve; I am 92, Meals on Wheels allows me to stay in my home and maintain my independence; It’s especially helpful to me, a single old man without family; I know that the friendly volunteers are checking on me to make sure I am ok’ they can’t help but be reminded that this is a critical service for homebound seniors and adults with disabilities in our community.”
When Congress returns to Washington in September, they will have less than a month to determine federal funding levels for the next Fiscal Year, which begins on October 1. Nenow and Bechtel stated that “at this critical time, when both the need and demand for nutritious meals are substantial and growing, Congress must make the needs of our most vulnerable and isolated seniors a higher priority. Now is the time to tell our Representatives and Senators to save lunch for our clients by protecting and increasing federal funding for Meals on Wheels programs and putting a balanced budget in place.”
The paper plate campaign supports the national #SaveLunch advocacy effort – led by Meals on Wheels America – to urge Congress to #SaveLunch for our nation’s seniors during the Fiscal Year 2018 appropriations process and make sure that no senior is left hungry and isolated.
To learn more about #SaveLunch and the ways you can take action, visit www.savelunch.org.
About Meals on Wheels of Lehigh County: Each weekday, Meals on Wheels of Lehigh County, a nonprofit agency, serves 450 homebound seniors and adults with disabilities living throughout Lehigh County. 848 individual and group volunteers deliver almost 167,000 meals each year; more than seven million since 1971. Volunteers also provide a social connection and a well-being check. The Agency also offers grocery shopping services to more than 150 clients. For more information, visit www.mealsonwheelslc.org.
About Meals on Wheels of Northampton County:
Meals on Wheels of Northampton County is a private, nonprofit organization whose mission for more than 45 years has been to support healthy living for home-bound seniors and adults with disabilities through the delivery of nutrition services. In 2017, we expect to prepare more than 567,000 hot and cold, medically tailored meals for our Northampton County clients and to those whom we serve throughout the Lehigh Valley through meal contracts. For more information, visit www.mealsonwheelspa.org.
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.
Information Provided By:
Michele Grasso, MPA
Director of Development and Communications
Meals on Wheels of Lehigh County
4234 Dorney Park Rd.
Allentown, PA 18104
www.mealsonwheelslc.org
