FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Date: March 12, 2008

The Council for Older Adults Meals-On-Wheels program announced today that they will be holding Mayors For Meals Day as a part of their March For Meals campaign. Delaware City Mayor Windell Wheeler and Shawnee Hills Mayor, Pat Monahan will be delivering meals on March 19th to show their support for the community’s seniors. Mayors For Meals Day is a component of March For Meals that utilizes the involvement of local Mayors.

Currently the local Meals-On-Wheels program delivers daily hot meals on 34 routes, to every township, village and city in Delaware County. All food is prepared at the Center for Older Adults, 800 Cheshire Rd. in Delaware. Meals are also served at four Dining Center in the county, including the Cheshire Rd. location. Last year, over 225 COA volunteers delivered 170,330 meals to home-bound older adults and at Dining Centers throughout the county.

 “We are excited about having Mayors Wheeler and Monahan participate in our event. We hope to raise awareness of senior hunger in our community and our need for additional volunteers to deliver meals” said Bob Horrocks, Council for Older Adults Executive Director.

March For Meals is an activity of the National Meals On Wheels Association of America, in which the Council’s Food and Nutritional Services is a participant. It is intended to raise awareness of senior hunger, and to encourage action on the part of the local community. To date, 740 Mayors have agreed to participate in this program throughout the country.

The Council is seeking additional volunteers to accommodate the increasing number of meal clients. A volunteer information open house will be held at the Center for Older Adults, 800 Cheshire Rd. in Delaware on April 8th from 4 – 6pm. If you are interested in volunteering or learning more about this opportunity, please call (740) 363-6677 or visit our website at www.growingolder.org. The local Meals-On-Wheels program in funded, in part, by the local Senior Services Levy.