The annual March for Meals campaign commemorates the historic day in March 1972 when President Nixon signed into law a measure that amended the Older Americans Act of 1965 and established a national nutrition program for seniors 60 years and older.
The event will feature staff, volunteers and community leaders speaking about the importance of addressing senior hunger and isolation, followed by a Proclamation from the Mayor of Hendersonville, and ending with packing that day’s meals for drivers to deliver to homebound seniors throughout the County. Participants have the opportunity to take part in a ride-along with a Meals on Wheels driver and get a hands-on look at the impact of this vital program.
This campaign arrives at a pressing time for Henderson County’s Meals on Wheels service. Demand continues to exceed available financial resources. This issue is magnified by the pending loss of COVID-related funds at the end of this fiscal year. In response, COAHC recently had to make the difficult decision to stop accepting clients beyond their current funding capacity, resulting in a waitlist of over 100 homebound seniors, with an average wait time of at least 6 months before receiving service. This means that there are dozens of seniors in our community who are unable to access the vital support they desperately need to age in place