Amanda Munden spoke to Hickory Rotary Club about Meals on Wheels in Catawba County. In Catawba County, the Department of Social Services is the local affiliate for Meals on Wheels, and Amanda serves as the coordinator.
Volunteers help seniors feel connected to their community while providing them with a nutritious meal. Annually, over 1,500 volunteers support the delivery of more than 75,000 meals to homebound seniors in Catawba County.
If you or anyone you know is interested in volunteering or learning more about the local Meals on Wheels program, please contact Amanda Munden at 695-5610 or via e-mail amunden@catawbacountync.gov.
View the Meals on Wheels brochure and download a Volunteer Application. For more information, visit www.catawbacountync.gov/dss/adult/nutrition.asp. Information below is courtesy of the Meals on Wheels Association of America website, www.mowaa.org.
The Meals On Wheels Association of America
The Meals on Wheels Association of America is the oldest and largest national organization composed of and representing local, community-based Senior Nutrition Programs in all 50 U.S. states, as well as the U.S. Territories. These local programs are our Members.
All told, there are some 5,000 local Senior Nutrition Programs in the United States. These programs provide well over one million meals to seniors who need them each day. Some programs serve meals at congregate locations like senior centers, some programs deliver meals directly to the homes of seniors whose mobility is limited, and many programs provide both services.
While remarkable, the one million meals per day figure underestimates the size and shape of our network and its reach and influence in communities across America. In addition to the hundreds of thousands of seniors who receive meals, there are many thousands of professionals employed at the various local Senior Nutrition Programs across the U.S. More notable than that is the virtual army of two million volunteers who also “work” for these programs.
Our Vision is to end senior hunger by 2020.
Our Mission is to provide national leadership to end senior hunger.
On September 1, 2009, the MOWAA Board of Directors approved a new vision for the Meals on Wheels Association of America: to end senior hunger by 2020. In order to turn this 2020 vision into a reality, we have started a national movement to end senior hunger by 2020: Our goal is to recruit 6 million people who are willing to stand up and pledge to do what it takes to end senior hunger.
Senior hunger in America is a monumental problem. The latest research reveals 8.3 million seniors in the United States faced the threat of hunger. Looking at the numbers, it is easy to become discouraged. Looking at the people whom the numbers represent, however, impels us to action and helps develop our plan. Because of the magnitude of the problem, we know that we cannot solve it overnight or with a single project or initiative.
