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Support needed for Meals on Wheels and heating programs
By Senator John Kerry (D.)
We’re the richest nation in the world and yet every day, elderly Americans go hungry. For some, who would otherwise be isolated and alone, the Meals on Wheels program has been a lifeline. Each day in communities across the country, including right here in Berkshire County, thousands of healthy meals are delivered to those in need. For more than 40 years, the Meals on Wheels program has worked towards the social, physical, nutritional, and economic betterment of our nation’s elderly and homebound citizens. The nutritious meals significantly improve the quality of life and the health of hundreds of thousands of people across America.
And for many, it is not only a hot, nutritious meal, but also a lifeline to the outside world.
As our population gets older, the need for nutrition programs like Meals on Wheels also grows. And in coming years, as the baby boom generation continues to age, the need is only going to grow even more. In 2006, the first Baby Boomers were eligible to receive Older Americans Act services such as Meals on Wheels.
In the past, with a Republican Congress, it has been difficult to secure adequate federal funding for Meals on Wheels, but this year we have a chance to change things – to move forward rather than just preserve this worthy effort.
Now, during the 110th Congress – a Congress led by Democrats and Democratic priorities – we will work with colleagues from both sides of the aisle to help meet the Meals on Wheels program’s growing needs. I will continue to provide strong support to funding Older Americans Act programs – including the Meals on Wheels program.
We must also continue to work on making transportation more affordable – to keep the “wheels” of Meals on Wheels in motion. With gas prices still well over $2 a gallon, program officials are worried that volunteers across the country will no longer be able to afford to provide their own transportation.
I will continue to push for additional funding of the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program – a program that is essential to helping our most vulnerable seniors cope with costs of heating their homes – because no one should have to choose between putting food on the table and heating their homes.
This is a test of who we are – and how we care for our mothers, fathers, grandparents, friends and neighbors. I will continue to advocate on behalf of Massachusetts seniors to ensure that no senior goes hungry.
John Kerry is the U.S. senator from Massachusetts.