Pam Bechtel, Executive Director and MIchele Grasso, Development Director, Meals on Wheels of Lehigh County and JoAnn Nenow, Executive Director, Meals on Wheels of Northampton County, met with Congressman Charlie Dent on August 5th to deliver almost 400 paper plates with handwritten comments from clients stating the importance of the Meals on Wheels program to their lives.
This event is part of a national “Don’t Empty My Plate,” a campaign designed to educate and call on Members of Congress to end sequestration and increase federal funding for Older Americans Act Nutrition Programs in the coming fiscal year. In an effort to advocate for our program and Meals On Wheels programs across the country, clients and volunteers wrote messages on paper plates about the importance and impact Meals On Wheels has on their lives. The plates were then collected and delivered to our elected officials.
The resounding message from both seniors and volunteers is that Meals On Wheels is much more than just a meal. Home-delivered meals help many seniors to maintain or improve their health and continue living in their own homes, averting far more costly health-care alternatives, such as hospitals and skilled nursing facilities. Meals On Wheels Association of America’s President & CEO, Ellie Hollander states, “For every $1 invested in Meals On Wheels programs, there is a potential $50 savings in Medicaid alone.” The savings in Medicare and Medicaid expenses potentially reduces federal spending by billions of dollars.
JoAnn Nenow, Executive Director of Meals On Wheels of Northampton County said, “It is our hope that the merits of our case, from a social, moral and business perspective, will be heard and that funding will be restored for our most vulnerable seniors.”
“Nearly two hundred plates were returned to us with poignant messages from our clients,” said Pam Bechtel, Executive Director at Meals on Wheels of Lehigh County. Handwritten on paper plates, the notes collectively tell a story about the Meals on Wheels service and its value -- not only providing home-delivered meals but human contact, too. “When our legislators read comments like, ‘I do not get much social security so at least I have food to eat; this is my only meal; I am 89 and need Meals on Wheels or I can’t stay in my home; the friendly volunteers are the only people I see most days;’ they can’t help but be reminded that this is a critical service for homebound seniors and adults with disabilities in our community.”
Congressman Dent spent about an hour with Bechtel, Grasso and Nenow. He understands the importance of Meals on Wheels for the homebound and appreciated learning more. He said that he believes there will be a rebalancing of sequestration cuts over the next few months.
WFMZ coverage: http://www.wfmz.com/news/Meals-on-Wheels-delivers-messages-to-Dent/-/121458/21341934/-/v8bjtyz/-/index.html