COMMUNITY CHAMPIONS HELP RAISE AWARENESS FOR MEALS ON WHEELS OF LEHIGH COUNTY AND SENIORS THE AGENCY SERVES
On Friday, March 23, Meals on Wheels of Lehigh County held its annual Community Champions delivery day with local government, business and other leaders in honor of the 2018 March for Meals Community Champions Week. Across the country this week, Meals on Wheels programs have enlisted elected officials, local celebrities and other prominent figures to deliver meals, speak out for seniors and raise awareness for the power of Meals on Wheels.
The services that we provide the seniors of Lehigh County are critical and the need is rapidly increasing. With the help of our volunteers and donors, we can keep seniors living independently, healthier at home and feeling more connected to their community as they age. We appreciate the participation of the individuals who have agreed to become one of our Meals on Wheels Community Champions and bring awareness to our program. They met the people we serve who benefit from our service and got a first-hand experience of the logistics involved in delivering to 460 people every day.
The annual March for Meals 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. Since 2002, Meals on Wheels programs from across the country have joined forces for the annual awareness campaign to celebrate this successful public-private partnership and garner the support needed to fill the gap between the seniors served and those still in need.
“This March, hundreds of local Meals on Wheels programs will rally their communities to build the support that will enable them to deliver nutritious meals, friendly visits and safety checks to America’s most at-risk seniors all year long,” said Ellie Hollander, President and CEO of Meals on Wheels America. “With the demand for Meals on Wheels increasing along with our country’s senior population, we need to ensure that seniors are not forgotten.”
Thanks to the following “community champions” who joined our regular champion volunteers and board members who delivered meals on March 23:
Phillips Armstrong, LC Executive
Jeanne McNeill, State Representative
Ryan Mackenzie, State Representative
Mike Schlossberg, State Representative
Pete Schweyer, State Representative
Ronald Conrad, Mayor of Macungie
Walter Niedermeyer, Mayor of Slatington
Tori Morgan, S. Whitehall Commissioner
Alta Mercado, Senator Pat Browne’s office
Jose Soto, Senator Pat Browne’s office
Carmen Bell, United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley
Megan Briggs, Lehigh Valley Community Foundation
Carol Saegar, Just Born Quality Confections
Megan Dowd, Just Born Quality Confections
Suzanne Colligas, Owner Colligas Family Markets
Herb Klotz, Allentown West Rotary Club