Community Action to participate in nationwide 2016 March For Meals
Support will help to fight senior isolation and hunger in Logan and Mason counties

[March 19, 2016]  The Community Action Partnership of Central Illinois has announced that it will be participating in the 14th 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. CAPCIL’s March for Meals celebration will include Community Champion volunteers who will deliver meals.

“The services that we provide the seniors are critical and the need is rapidly increasing,” said Becky Leamon, Nutrition Services Director at CAPCIL. “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 Community Action, 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.

“The Meals on Wheels ‘more than just a meal’ model addresses three of the biggest threats of aging: isolation, hunger and loss of independence,” said Meals on Wheels America President and CEO Ellie Hollander. “More than ever, we must join forces 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. 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:

Each month we prepare and deliver over 1,650 meals 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 into our temperature controlled vehicle for distribution on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. A hot and a cold meal is distributed on Mondays and Wednesdays and one hot meal is distributed on Friday each week.

The drivers, both paid and volunteer receive training and provide a safety check as well as a warm, friendly smile to participants. For some individuals receiving meals, the driver may be the only person they see. This is why it is so important to us to provide these meals, so that no one is forgotten.

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. 

[Becky Leamon]