PREBLE COUNTY — Preble County Council on Aging announced this week it will be participating in the 15th annual March for Meals – a month-long, nationwide celebration of Meals on Wheels and the homebound and vulnerable seniors who rely on its vital safety net. PCCOA’s March for Meals celebration will include local dignitaries delivering meals during its Big Wheels Deliver Meals week, March 20-24.
”The services that we provide the seniors of Preble County are critical and the need is rapidly increasing,” said Ashley Bowers, In-Home Services Manager. “Together, we can keep seniors living independently, healthier at home and feeling more connected to their community as they age.”
Since 2002, Meals on Wheels America has led the annual awareness campaign in an effort to fill the gap between the seniors served and those in need that is widening due to increased demand with a rapidly aging population combined with declining public and private resources, and rising food, transportation and operational costs. This March, hundreds of local Meals on Wheels programs, like PCCOA’s, will reach out to their communities to build the support that will enable them to deliver nutritious meals, friendly visits and safety checks to America’s seniors all year long.
“March is a time for us all to rally around Meals on Wheels,” said Ellie Hollander, President and CEO of Meals on Wheels America. “Our ability to meet the needs of vulnerable seniors lies in the willingness and generosity of businesses, government and concerned individuals of all ages to contribute in their own way. It not only makes economic sense to enable seniors to stay healthy and safe at home, but it improves the health and vibrancy of our communities and our nation at large.”
For more information on how you can volunteer, contribute or speak out for the seniors in Preble County and across the country, visit www.marchformeals.com.
PCCOA’s Home Delivered Meals Program
In 2016, PCCOA delivered a total of 20,040 meals, and currently delivers approximately 115 Home Delivered Meals (HDM) a day. Each day they drive 175-200 miles to deliver hot nutritious meals, have four routes, four paid drivers, and four volunteers that help ensure that Preble County Seniors get their hot meals delivered and a friendly face to check in on them. They currently have more than 36 seniors on the waiting list, waiting to receive HDM. For more information, visit www.prebleseniorcenter.org or call 937-456-4947.
