VermontBiz Last month, Meals on Wheels America celebrated the historic day in 1972 when a national nutrition program for older adults was added to the Older Americans Act.
Central Vermont Council on Aging (CVCOA) celebrates the work done every day by staff and volunteers at local nutrition program sites to source, prep, cook, package, and deliver meals to our neighbors. In Central Vermont, 12 area nutrition programs at a total of 13 locations activate a small staff and a strong force of volunteers each week to get about 4,800 meals delivered to their communities.
If you traveled to each of the programs throughout the area, you’d pick up on the unique vibe at each meal, a reflection of the local community and history of each place. It’s a place to come for a special holiday meal, like Strafford’s recent Easter dinner of ham, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes and bread. Or, it’s a place to come for weekly lunch, catching up with old friends and making new friends.
Those who receive Meals on Wheels (MOW) benefit from the regular visit from their volunteer driver in addition to the arrival of a warm, nutritious meal. Kendall helps prepare meals for the Mad River Valley’s nutrition program, and her 93-year-old mother is a Meals on Wheels (MOW) recipient. She likes that it’s not just a meal her mother gets, it’s someone checking in. As she says, it’s “easy to flourish” here. As Waterbury MOW driver Mary Beth puts it, the drivers really need to deliver the meal and check on the client. Having driven the same route for four years has enabled her to pick up on changes with her clients that might indicate a need for greater support. For some clients, the MOW driver is the only person checking in on them and the only opportunity for socialization on a given day.
CVCOA contracts with area nutrition programs, providing program management support, including menu development, training, and technical assistance, along with reimbursement for meals under the Older American Act. The current legislative session has the opportunity to add $2.5 million dollars to the statewide budget for Meals on Wheels, which would increase the reimbursement rate for each meal prepared and delivered. CVCOA supports this budgetary increase and finds it crucial to the success of senior centers and nutrition programs, which provide necessary points of connection for older adults.
In addition to letting your legislators know you support the increase to Meals on Wheels reimbursement, you can support your local nutrition program with a donation or by volunteering in the capacity that interests you. Learn more about each program at https://cvcoa.org/nutrition-programs.
Central Vermont Council on Aging (CVCOA) supports older Central Vermonters to age with dignity and choice in 54 towns. Visit the CVCOA website at www.cvcoa.org or call the CVCOA Helpline at 1-802-477-1364 for more information or assistance. CVCOA is located at 59 North Main Street, Suite 200 in Barre with regional offices located in Morrisville, Randolph, South Royalton and Rochester.
