Help Us Build Our Meals on Wheels Van
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Senior Hunger - A Crisis facing our Frail Elderly
Did you know that right here in America we are facing a crisis among our seniors, especially those that are frail? It’s called Senior Hunger. Nearly 5 million Americans age 60 and older are at risk for hunger every day – a staggering 79 percent increase in just 10 years.
After a lifetime of work, many seniors are living on fixed incomes. According to Hunger in America 2010, among client households with seniors, 30 percent have had to choose between paying for food and paying for medical care. Because they often need medication to maintain their health, many elderly Americans forgo the foods they need to stay healthy. Additionally, limited mobility and dependence on outside assistance makes seniors particularly vulnerable to hunger. Food insecurity among this population is especially troublesome due to their unique nutritional and special diet needs for medical conditions.
In Benzie County, our growing senior population is not immune. In fact, our Home Delivered Meals Program has seen an increase of 9% in demand for meals over the past 9 months. Just last month the increase was 14% as compared to the previous month!
The Home Delivered Meals Program by Benzie County Council on Aging (BCCOA) is dedicated to providing our homebound seniors with the necessary nutritional support to protect them against food insecurity, and to help them continue to live independent and fulfilling lives. Without the meals supplied by our program, many seniors would be prematurely placed in assisted living or nursing homes due to their inability to shop for food or prepare their own meals.
BCCOA must add an additional route to our existing Home Delivered Meals Routes due to the increase in demands. But in order to do this, we need help to raise funds to purchase another vehicle. We are calling on you to help “Build our Van.” Essentially, we are building our van one part at a time until we have raised $23,000. PLEASE HELP US HELP OTHERS!
Did you know that right here in America we are facing a crisis among our seniors, especially those that are frail? It’s called Senior Hunger. Nearly 5 million Americans age 60 and older are at risk for hunger every day – a staggering 79 percent increase in just 10 years.
After a lifetime of work, many seniors are living on fixed incomes. According to Hunger in America 2010, among client households with seniors, 30 percent have had to choose between paying for food and paying for medical care. Because they often need medication to maintain their health, many elderly Americans forgo the foods they need to stay healthy. Additionally, limited mobility and dependence on outside assistance makes seniors particularly vulnerable to hunger. Food insecurity among this population is especially troublesome due to their unique nutritional and special diet needs for medical conditions.
In Benzie County, our growing senior population is not immune. In fact, our Home Delivered Meals Program has seen an increase of 9% in demand for meals over the past 9 months. Just last month the increase was 14% as compared to the previous month!
The Home Delivered Meals Program by Benzie County Council on Aging (BCCOA) is dedicated to providing our homebound seniors with the necessary nutritional support to protect them against food insecurity, and to help them continue to live independent and fulfilling lives. Without the meals supplied by our program, many seniors would be prematurely placed in assisted living or nursing homes due to their inability to shop for food or prepare their own meals.
BCCOA must add an additional route to our existing Home Delivered Meals Routes due to the increase in demands. But in order to do this, we need help to raise funds to purchase another vehicle. We are calling on you to help “Build our Van.” Essentially, we are building our van one part at a time until we have raised $23,000. PLEASE HELP US HELP OTHERS!
Organizer
Dawn Thibeault-Bousamra
Organizer
Honor, MI
