Meals on Wheels America Highlights the Urgent Need for Increased Federal Funding for Senior Nutrition Programs

New “MeMaw Is Waiting” Campaign Highlights Federal Funding Shortfall that Stretches Local Providers to Breaking Point and Leaves Millions of Vulnerable Seniors Waiting for Meals, Connection and Care

ARLINGTON, Va., July 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ – Meals on Wheels America launched  MeMaw Is Waiting today, a national advocacy campaign highlighting the urgent crisis facing America’s seniors and the Meals on Wheels providers serving them. With nearly 14 million seniors facing food insecurity as this population grows, combined with skyrocketing gas, food and operations costs and cuts and restrictions to vital senior support programs, the need for Meals on Wheels is increasing rapidly.

The root of the problem: chronic underfunding of federal senior nutrition programs. Meals on Wheels providers rely primarily on funding from the Older Americans Act (OAA) Nutrition Program, and that funding enables the Meals on Wheels network to deliver nutritious meals and moments of connection. However, this program’s funding has continued to fall short, resulting in a growing unmet need among older adults in communities across the country.

That’s why Meals on Wheels America is launching a new campaign called MeMaw Is Waiting to illuminate how many seniors are left waiting for the lifesaving services that would be made possible by increased federal funding. The current funding shortfalls force many providers to make impossible choices, such as eliminating meal routes, pausing meal delivery, increasing or starting waitlists, reducing delivery days or shutting down entirely. Nine in ten Meals on Wheels providers rely on federal funding, and 60% depend on it for at least half of their budget.

MeMaw Is Waiting serves as a grassroots mobilization campaign meant to inspire viewers to contact their members of Congress and urge them to support increased funding for Meals on Wheels. As the FY 2027 appropriations process approaches, Meals on Wheels America is asking Congress to increase funding for the OAA Nutrition Program (Title III-C) from its current level of $1.059 billion to $2.285 billion. This investment would enable local senior nutrition providers to not only continue offering vital services to the 2.6 million seniors they currently serve each year, but also reach an additional 2.5 million low-income, food insecure older adults who are not being served due to the lack of federal funding.

“We launched the MeMaw Is Waiting campaign because seniors in need are so much more than just a statistic,” said Ellie Hollander, president and chief executive officer of Meals on Wheels America. “When local providers are stretched beyond capacity and forced to make impossible decisions, it’s our aging friends and family — MeMaw, Auntie, Grandma, Abuelo and Gramps, for example — who face the consequences. The time to act is now. We cannot let vulnerable seniors suffer any longer.”

Stronger federal investment in senior nutrition programs is both the right thing to do and a fiscally responsible use of taxpayer dollars. Meals on Wheels prevents costly health care interventions: when adjusted for inflation, senior falls cost the U.S. health care system $98 billion annually (primarily covered by Medicare), while social isolation costs Medicare an estimated $9 billion per year. Food insecurity across all ages costs an estimated $105 billion annually. These essential programs help prevent unnecessary trips to the emergency room, reduce hospital admissions and readmissions and delay or eliminate placement in long-term care facilities.

Seniors you love are directly impacted by how Congress invests in older adults. No one wants their loved ones to go without meals, care or connection. Tell Congress to increase funding for Meals on Wheels and End the Wait® today. Visit www.mealsonwheelsamerica.org/SeniorsAreWaiting to learn more.

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About Meals on Wheels America
Meals on Wheels America is the leadership organization supporting approximately 5,000 community-based providers across the country dedicated to addressing senior hunger and isolation. Powered by a trusted 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. Through public awareness, funding, programming, education, research and advocacy, Meals on Wheels America empowers local providers to strengthen their communities, one senior at a time. At a time when demand for Meals on Wheels services is growing, and many seniors are left waiting, Meals on Wheels America is dedicated to helping End the Wait®  and ensuring every senior who needs Meals on Wheels gets it. For more information, or to locate a Meals on Wheels provider near you, visit mealsonwheelsamerica.org. You can also find Meals on Wheels America on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Threads, Bluesky, TikTok and X.