WE NEED CONGRESS TO #SAVELUNCH FOR AMERICA’S SENIORS

Meals on Wheels America is a national leader in senior nutrition supporting the network of 5,000 community-based organizations providing nutritious meals and social connection to the rapidly growing and changing population of older Americans. We are calling on Congress to increase federal funding and advance policies to support the nationwide network of senior nutrition programs and address the escalating issues of senior hunger and isolation.

Congress must #SaveLunch by providing at least $1.284 billion for the Older Americans Act (OAA) Nutrition Program in any final Fiscal Year 2024 Labor-HHS-Education appropriations bill, including equal funding for congregate and home-delivered nutrition services at $562 million each and $160 million for the Nutrition Services Incentive Program. The OAA is the primary source of federal funding for senior nutrition programs like Meals on Wheels.

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At current funding levels, we’re reaching less than half of seniors who need lifesaving support. Over 12 million seniors worry about having enough food and one in three Meals on Wheels programs has a waitlist with seniors waiting an average of three months for vital meals. No senior should be in this position. That’s why we’re calling on Congress to #SaveLunch for America’s seniors.

As Ellie Hollander, Meals on Wheels America President and CEO, and Bob Blancato, NANASP Executive Director, shared with The Hill, “[Our] programs are an investment in health promotion and chronic illness management. They are an investment in alleviating social isolation and loneliness. And they are an investment in health care cost reduction.”