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Lincoln Fire Chief
Mark Miller
In honor of the 2016 March for Meals’ annual
Community Champions Week Lincoln Fire Chief Miller and Police Chief
Adams, along with his 2 children, gave their time and friendly
smiles as they went door to door delivering meals.
Lincoln Police Chief
Paul Adams and children
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.
“By inviting our local elected officials we have increased awareness
of the need for volunteers and donations to help keep serving the
seniors in our communities. Pictures and posts were shared on
Facebook and have reached over 3500 people,” said Becky Leamon,
Nutrition Services Director of Community Action Partnership of
Central Illinois. “The Community Action Senior Nutrition program is
only partially funded by Area Agency on Aging for Lincolnland and
United Way of Logan County and needs the help of volunteers and
donations to provide this service to our seniors, especially now
while the State of Illinois has not passed a budget. Our program is
one of the few who have been able to continue all meal deliveries to
each participant despite the budget impasse.”
Since 2002, Meals on Wheels America has led the March for Meals 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 Community Action
Senior Nutrition, reached 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.
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 “More than ever, we must join forces – local
Meals on Wheels programs, governments, businesses and concerned
individuals – to meet the needs of the fastest growing population in
America who want to be able to live at home for as long as they
can,” said Meals on Wheels America President and CEO Ellie
Hollander. “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 your community and across the country, visit
www.marchformeals.com.
About Community Action Partnership of Central Illinois Senior
Nutrition Program:
Over 1,650 meals are prepared and delivered monthly to individuals
who are homebound and/or unable to prepare nutritious meals for
themselves. Daily meals are prepared at the Central Kitchen located
in Lincoln, Illinois and packed up for distribution. For those
participants living outside of Lincoln, the meals are loaded into a
temperature controlled truck so hot meals remain hot and cold meals
remain cold. Drivers, paid and volunteer, receive training and
provide a safety check as well as a warm friendly smile to
participants. On more than one occasion, the driver has come across
participants who appeared to be having difficulty or needed
emergency assistance and reported it immediately to the Nutrition
Services Director so that appropriate emergency services and/or
contacts can be reached and lives saved. For some individuals
receiving meals, the driver may be the only person they see. This is
why it is so important to provide this service, so that no senior is
forgotten or goes hungry. If you would like to become a volunteer,
donate or learn more about our program please call 217-732-2159,
e-mail bleamon@capcil.org
or visit our web page at capcil.info.
About Meals on Wheels America
Meals on Wheels America is the oldest and largest national
organization supporting the more than 5,000 community-based senior
nutrition programs across the country that are dedicated to
addressing senior hunger and isolation. This network exists in
virtually every community in America and, along with more than two
million volunteers, delivers the nutritious meals, friendly visits
and safety checks that enable America’s seniors to live nourished
lives with independence and dignity. By providing funding,
leadership, research, education and advocacy support, Meals on
Wheels America empowers its local member programs to strengthen
their communities, one senior at a time. For more information, or to
find a Meals on Wheels provider near you, visit
www.mealsonwheelsamerica.org.
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