This spring, longtime Southern Maine Agency on Aging Meals on Wheels volunteer, Len, placed a week’s worth of individualized meals, plus some fruit and milk on Henry’s counter. Then he walked over to a little table with an overhead light where Henry showed him the progress he’d been making on a new painting.

“Henry’s an artist.” Len said.

Henry proudly shuffled through some older paintings he’d worked on, and the two men talked about what Henry had been up to that week. It was clear that Len knew Henry well, having visited him every week for years. Of his weekly Meals on Wheels deliveries, Henry said, “Ever since I started eating these meals… they helped me to feel better. I needed them for my health. That means a lot to me.”

Meals on Wheels is Southern Maine Agency on Aging’s largest program. Last year, we delivered 237,454 meals to 2,015 recipients. 40% of these recipients meet the Federal Poverty level and pay nothing to receive this essential service.

Meal recipients are older adults or adults with disabilities who are homebound for a variety of reasons. These older adults may be facing limited access to healthy, nutritious food, financial constraints, functional limitations, transportation difficulties, and/or health issues. For whatever reason an individual qualifies for help, Meals on Wheels is designed to empower older adults and adults with disabilities to remain living independently and to reduce the burden on public and social health systems. Southern Maine Agency on Aging isn’t simply delivering food, we’re also performing important safety checks for recipients, and providing social connection, like the connection formed between Len and Henry.

Right now, because of potential policy changes at the federal level, our nutrition programming is at risk. The 40% of our Meals on Wheels recipients who are living in poverty often live alone and rely on multiple supportive services that are currently being threatened as well. Without Meals on Wheels, they would be without an essential component of their food assistance. That’s over 800 individuals in need of nutritional support, social connection, and community care.

A donation from you today helps to ensure that older adults in our communities are receiving the nutritional support they need.

Please help us reach our goal of raising $80,000 by September 30^th to help homebound older adults meet their nutritional and social needs. This amount represents two weeks of meal deliveries for the 800 individuals at risk of losing essential services.

Thank you for supporting the health and well-being of older adults in our state.

With gratitude,

Megan M. Walton, CEO

____________________________________________________________________________