The NEK Council on Aging (NEKCOA) is participating in “March for Meals,” the month-long, nationwide celebration of Meal on Wheels, an important nutrition program that allows elder residents to remain healthy and independent at home.
The March for Meals 2022 celebration commemorates the 50th anniversary of 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. Since 2002, community-based Meals on Wheels programs from across the country have joined forces for the annual awareness campaign to celebrate this successful public-private partnership and garner the support needed to fill the gap between the seniors served and those still in need.
“The nutrition program at the NEKCOA embodies what is best about the Northeast Kingdom--a commitment to caring for elders in our communities. Of course the meal providers and volunteer drivers deserve all the credit for their dedication, compassion, and commitment and we honor them during this month. They are all champions!” said Meg Burmeister, Executive Director.
During the last fiscal year, the NEKCOA’s partner meal sites,14 across the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont, served over 234,616 take home or home-delivered meals.
“I’m pleased to celebrate March for Meals and honor two of our employees, Ashley Coburn, our Chef, and her assistant Amy Garfield,” said Diane Coburn, manager of the St. Johnsbury Nutrition Center. “These busy ladies go the extra mile to prepare daily meals for hundreds of people. Ashley is creative in her meal preparation and helps to save us money and ingredients and Amy is very dedicated—they work well together. I’m very proud of them.”
In addition to meal preparation, there is a vast network of volunteer drivers that extends across the NEK to help deliver meals to residents in their homes. Every week, over 150 drivers help to deliver meals across the NEK.
“Home-delivered meals are of critical importance to those who wish to remain living independently in their homes for as long as possible. We learned very quickly how important this need was during the pandemic when our communities were locked down and folks remained at home to be safe,” said Herb Will, NEKCOA Nutrition Director. “The volume of home-delivered meals significantly increased and our systems were stretched but thanks to the dedication of meal site staff, volunteer drivers, and community partners, we were able to support the need.”
Janney and Ken Johnston live in Greensboro and have been home-delivered meals drivers since 2008.
"My husband and I have been delivering Meals on Wheels in our area communities for 14 years. Our recipients greatly appreciate the nutritious meals they receive. As volunteers, though, we also find doing this important community service to be tremendously rewarding,” said Janney Johnston. “It is not just the food we provide, but also a smiling face and time to talk with the recipients, some of whom are very isolated. We also check on the person's well-being. And many times, we may be the first ones to identify when a person needs additional support which NEK Council on Aging can coordinate."
For more information on how you can volunteer at a meal site or serve as a home-delivered meals driver, please contact the NEKCOA at (800) 642-5119. Information can also be found at www.nekcouncil.org.
