From a press release
In recognition of the nationwide Meals on Wheels “March for Meals” celebration, Chester County Commissioners Marian Moskowitz, Josh Maxwell and Michelle Kichline joined Meals on Wheels of Chester County staff and volunteers to deliver meals to county seniors.
From July 2021 to June 30, 2022, Meals on Wheels of Chester County delivered more than 94,000 meals to 834 clients, 94 percent of whom are over the age of 60. 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 have fueled the growth of the Meals on Wheels network for more than 50 years.
“As the senior population steadily increases, the need for our program grows as well,” said Jeani Purcell, Executive Director for Meals on Wheels of Chester County. “Meals on Wheels is so much ‘More Than a Meal®’. Every nutritious meal is delivered with a smile, care, and a daily check on our clients.”
Meals on Wheels People was founded in 1969 by three caring women, Jean Wade, Martha Shull and Cay Kreiger, who saw a need in the community that was not being met. They gathered in the basement of the Lincoln Street Methodist Church in February 1970 to serve a hot lunch to about a dozen seniors and then delivered 14 Meals on Wheels on paper plates wrapped in newspaper.
Meals on Wheels enriches the lives of seniors, and assist them in maintaining independence by providing nutritious food, human connections and social support. They also use their expertise and capacity to serve other nutritionally at-risk populations.
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