John,

I wanted to make sure you saw Deborah’s email from yesterday.

With the number of older adults experiencing limited or uncertain access to adequate food growing from 10.1 million in 2021 to 12.3 million today, local programs desperately require increased federal investments to meet the needs of seniors struggling with hunger.¹ And, many of our senior neighbors are struggling with isolation and/or lack of needed services in their communities.

One in three Meals on Wheels programs has a waiting list, with seniors spending an average of three months waiting for vital meals. In a recent survey, 78% of local Meals on Wheels programs shared that without additional funding they would have to start a waitlist in the next year.²

Current funding levels are not enough to provide seniors with the support they deserve. Unfortunately, extremists have pushed for harsh and arbitrary spending caps that make it tougher to invest in human needs. We need Congress to protect and strengthen these proven and effective programs by providing $1.842 billion for the Older Americans Act Nutrition Program in FY 2025 and pass spending bills that support our communities.      

Send a direct message to Congress, telling them to increase funding to the OAA Nutrition Program now.

Thank you for all you do,

Meredith Dodson
Senior Director of Public Policy, CHN Action

¹ Outside Witness Testimony of Ellie Hollander, President and CEO of Meals on Wheels America
² Outside Witness Testimony of Ellie Hollander, President and CEO of Meals on Wheels America

-- DEBORAH'S EMAIL --

John,

Federal budget and annual appropriations negotiations are underway and one major piece of legislation that needs more attention is the Older Americans Act (OAA).

Passed in 1965, the OAA is the foundational source of support and funding for seniors’ health and supportive services, including nutritional programs such as Meals on Wheels, family caregiver support, and it funds services to prevent abuse, neglect, and exploitation of senior citizens. The OAA Nutrition Program delivers meals but also social connection to adults 60 and older in group, grab-and-go, and/or individual home settings.

Through the Meals on Wheels program, 251 million meals are delivered to 2.2 million seniors annually.¹ A FY 2025 appropriations request of $1.842 billion would fund local programs at levels necessary to address the needs of a rapidly growing aging population that is increasingly threatened by hunger and isolation.

Send a message to Congress, urging them to reject cuts and fully fund the Older Americans Act Nutrition Program now. Our seniors deserve nothing less.

The FY 2024 Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations bill cut funding to the OAA Nutrition Program for the first time in a decade, leaving local nutrition programs struggling for financial support and to meet seniors’ needs. Today, 99% of Meals on Wheels programs report challenges to serving seniors in need, and 97% of programs believe there is unmet need in their communities.²

At the same time, the issues of senior hunger and isolation are growing: Eight out of ten low-income, food insecure older adults are not receiving the congregate or home-delivered meals they are eligible for and likely need,³ and more than one in four seniors lives alone.⁴

Congress needs to hear from you. Sharing your stories and the impact Meals on Wheels and other senior support services have had on your family and your community will help members of Congress understand how essential these services are. With wait lists growing and more potential funding cuts on the table, your voice matters.

Send a message to Congress today, urging them to invest in the Older Americans Act Nutrition Program.

Thank you for all you do,

Deborah Weinstein
Executive Director, CHN Action

¹ Meals on Wheels America: What We Deliver
² Outside Witness Testimony of Ellie Hollander, President and CEO of Meals on Wheels America
³ Outside Witness Testimony of Ellie Hollander, President and CEO of Meals on Wheels America
⁴ Older people are more likely to live alone in the U.S. than elsewhere in the world