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-- Programs and Services -- Contact Information Community stands by Meals on Wheels
In the past few months, Elder Services has pursued various activities to increase public awareness of its Meals on Wheels program.
Meals on Wheels provides hot, nutritious, home-delivered noontime meals to over 1,000 Berkshire elders each weekday. This past year, Elder Services’ Lanesboro kitchen prepared 260,000 meals (an increase of 10,000 over the previous year), with more than 203,000 meals delivered directly to the homes of frail elders who need Meals on Wheels. (More than 750 meals are delivered to home-bound elders each weekday.) The other meals were served at 14 congregate meal sites throughout the county.
Federal funding for this essential program has remained basically the same for the past 11 years, while the costs of purchasing the food, and preparing and delivering the meals to the homes of the elders who need them has continued to increase.
In fiscal year 2005, the Nutrition Program faced a projected funding deficit of more than $100,000. To raise community awareness (and much-needed funding) for Meals on Wheels, Elder Services created sponsorship opportunities for local businesses and conducted a raffle with donated prizes. WUPE radio recorded several public service announcements, and Channel 9 News televised a report about the program.
As of press time, 61 local businesses and organizations have become Meals on Wheels sponsors by sending in donations in support of the program. Twelve other individuals and businesses have also made donations in response to the appeal. (See list on page 8.) Together thus far with some donations still coming, $24,485 has been raised through sponsorships and donations.
As Elder Services’ largest individual supporters of Meals on Wheels, Ruth and Nicholas Boraski of Pittsfield, deserve special mention for their ongoing dedication to the program and the elders it serves.
Meals on Wheels raffle tickets have been sold at Elder Services’ meals sites, and outside various grocery and retail stores throughout Berkshire County, and as of press time their sales have netted $4,629. The raffle winners will be listed in the October "Berkshire Senior."
Alex Seseske of WUPE radio created several public service announcements spotlighting Meals on Wheels, which have been playing on the radio. Drivers, meals recipients and their family members and Elder Services staff came into the studio to speak of their experience with the program.
Channel 9 News Reporter Ryan Peterson visited Elder Services’ Lanesboro kitchen to shoot footage of the Nutrition Program staff and volunteers preparing and packaging meals, drivers packing the meals into their cars, and drivers delivering meals to elders.
In addition to these fund-raising efforts for Meals on Wheels, there will be additional support from the commonwealth starting October 1. According to Elder Services’ Executive Director Robert P. Dean, “The state legislature has approved an increase in the state budget line item that determines Massachusetts funding for Meals on Wheels, which will provide a much-needed local funding increase. This additional funding, when combined with the donations from local businesses and the raffle proceeds, will help to offset a significant portion of the current funding deficit. We will continue to need the community’s support, and welcome all donations, large or small.”
Elder Services extends its sincere thanks to all who have been involved in this year’s effort to raise funds for Meals on Wheels, including the businesses who have provided support through sponsorship, those who sold or bought raffle tickets, Carr Hardware for selling bratwurst for Meals on Wheels in June, and Alex Seseske and Ryan Peterson and the people they interviewed and recorded. Finally, the program could not run without the dedicated Nutrition Program staff and volunteers, who prepare, deliver and serve 1,000 meals a day, Monday through Friday, to the frail elders who need them. Thank you all!