Meals On Wheels Crawfordsville Joins In Month-Long March For Meals

 Meals on Wheels Crawfordsville announced earlier this week that it will be participating in the 21st annual March for Meals – a month-long, nationwide celebration of Meal on Wheels and our senior neighbors who rely on this essential service to remain healthy and independent at home, now even more so amid a lingering pandemic and high inflation. “In the last year, we have experienced two substantial increases in the price for our meals from the hospital,” said Pat Stull, director of MoW Crawfordsville. “We have been in awe of the outpouring of support so far, and there’s still much we can do to ensure everyone in need of our vital lifeline can benefit from being well-nourished and more connected to our community through this challenging time and beyond.

Thanks to generous donations, we have been able to subsidize our clients, keeping their cost low and manageable.” About 50 seniors from Crawfordsville are provided a hot meal (and optional sack lunch) Monday through Friday. Loyal volunteers package and deliver the meals every day except Thanksgiving and Christmas. The visit also acts as a wellness check as more than 70% of the recipients live alone.

The annual March for Meals celebration commemorates the historic day in March of 1972 when President Nixon signed into law a measure that amended the Older Americans Act of 1965 to include a national nutrition program for seniors 60 years and older. This critical support and federal funding has fueled the growth of the Meals on Wheels network for more than 50 years. During the month, community-based Meals on Wheels programs from across the country will join forces for the annual awareness campaign to celebrate this successful public-private partnership and garner the resources needed to reach every senior in need of a nutritious meal, friendly visit and safety check.

“March is an important time for us to come together to ensure that Meals on Wheels is there for all of our senior neighbors in need,” said Ellie Hollander, President and CEO of Meals on Wheels America.

“The demand for services is already great and approximately 12,000 Americans are turning 60 every day. We must maintain and expand the programs that have helped so many get through this unprecedented time in our nation’s history. We can’t do it alone. It takes all of us to keep the nationwide Meals on Wheels movement going.”

For more information on how you can volunteer, contribute or speak out for the seniors in Crawfordsville this March, visit MEALS on WHEELS of Crawfordsville on Facebook. 765-366-5611 or 765-364-0291. Donations can be mailed to Meals on Wheels Crawfordsville, Box 86, Crawfordsville, IN 47933, please put MOW on your check. You can also visit Montgomery County Free Clinic at mcfreeclinic.org.