We’re celebrating the 19th annual March for Meals – a
month-long, nationwide celebration of meals on Wheels and our
senior neighbors who rely on this essential service to remain
healthy and independent at home, now even more so among the
COVID-19 pandemic. Meals on Wheels Foundation of Northern
Illinois’ celebration will include various activities
throughout the month of March, including awareness, advocacy
during Community Champions week March 22-29th, and encouraging
individuals to volunteer!
“In the last year, we have experienced a significant increase
in the demand for our services in Cook, Kendall, Grundy and
Will counties,” said Lauren Doherty, CEO of Meals on Wheels
Foundation of Northern Illinois. “We have been in awe of the
outpouring of support, 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.”
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. Since 2002, community-based Meals on Wheels programs
from across the country have joined forces for the annual
awareness campaign to celebrate this successful public-private
partnership and garner the support needed to fill the gap
between the seniors served and those still in need.
“The pandemic has introduced many of us to the newfound and
harsh realities of food insecurity and social isolation –
something that far too many seniors experience as their daily
norm. More than ever, we must rally around our essential
community-based programs that serve as lifelines to a growing
number of people in need, to enable their own long-term
vitality,” said Ellie Hollander, President and CEO of Meals on
Wheels America. “Even when we make it through this
unprecedented time in our nation's history, there will still
be millions of vulnerable older adults who will rely on that
familiar knock on the door that provides peace of mind and
hope beyond the meal itself. Please join us in celebrating the
power and importance of Meals on Wheels this March and
always.”
