Great leaders have said the test of any civilization is how it treats those most vulnerable. Meals on Wheels demonstrates our country’s effort to rise up and meet this standard.
The public-private partnership supporting the Meals on Wheels movement is one of the most effective models in America. It enables seniors to remain more healthy and independent in their own homes, where they want to be, avoiding far more costly healthcare alternatives, such as unnecessary trips to the emergency room, hospitalizations and nursing home placements. In turn, everyone benefits from billions of dollars in taxpayer savings.
Over the coming years, the number of seniors in our country will grow exponentially. We have the opportunity to leverage the existing Meals on Wheels infrastructure as the foundational social solution to the challenges that that growth will bring.