#SAVELUNCH FOR AMERICA’S SENIORS

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As key negotiations on FY 2024 appropriations continue, I ask you to prioritize nutrition, health, and wellbeing of your senior constituents by providing at least $1,284,385,000 for the Older Americans Act (OAA) Nutrition Program in the Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations Bill. The OAA is the primary piece of legislation that Meals on Wheels programs in our state and nationwide rely on to deliver 230 million meals to 2.2 million seniors each year.

The problems of senior hunger, isolation, and poverty are growing in America: More than 10 million seniors are threatened by or experience hunger and 1 in 3 seniors live alone. Meals on Wheels has evidence-based solutions in place to address these issues for the growing population of our nation’s seniors, but robust funding is sorely needed to meet the rising demand for these services. Over 80% of Meals on Wheels participants report that the services they receive improve their health, help them feel more secure and allow them to age in place at home. None of this would be possible without federal funding through the OAA.

Increased federal investment is desperately needed to address existing needs, avoid service cuts and expand access to more at-risk older adults and their caregivers, particularly those with the greatest social and economic need. Many programs are taking drastic steps to sustain their operations amid immediate funding challenges, including adding seniors to waitlists and discontinuing or cutting back services. On average, a senior on a waiting list must wait over three months for meals. We need Congress to do its part to protect and strengthen these proven and effective programs by increasing federal OAA funding in FY 2024 to at least $1,284,385,000.

Thank you for your consideration and care for America’s older adults. I hope I can count on your support to #SaveLunch for seniors by increasing funding for the OAA Nutrition Program and deliver for our nation’s most vulnerable.

Meals on Wheels needs your help to save lunch! Congress holds the “power of the purse” and will need to negotiate, set and pass final funding levels for Meals on Wheels primary funding source for FY 2024 or a short-term stopgap bill by February 2 to avoid a government shutdown. Now is a critical time for you to contact your Members of Congress urging them to increase funding for Meals on Wheels and #SaveLunch for our seniors

Simply type your name, home address and email to automatically send a message to your Members of Congress asking them to #SaveLunch for seniors by increasing funding for Meals on Wheels. Thank you for your time and support.

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