The warmest February for many years brought out the faithful to the 38th annual Meals on Wheels Valentine Breakfast on Tuesday at the Gloucester House restaurant.
Familiar friendly faces from years past, as well as new supporters, enjoyed the hospitality of the Linquata family as they again sponsored this Gloucester tradition that has benefited so many homebound seniors on Cape Ann and the North Shore by helping to ensure that the Meals on Wheels program continues to meet their needs.
This year, SeniorCare is especially grateful to the following companies for their generous support of the Meals on Wheels Program: ABC Home Healthcare Professionals; Action Inc.; Applied Materials/Varian Semiconductor; Associated Home Care; Bank Gloucester; Cape Ann Savings Bank; Cape Ann Transportation Operating Company; Carroll Steele Insurance Company; Comfort Keepers; Elder Service Plan of the North Shore; First National Bank of Ipswich; G. Everett Mahoney Inc.; Gloucester Lodge of Elks 892; Glovsky & Glovsky; Gorton's; Kindred Nursing and Rehabilitation — Den-Mar; Liquor Locker; North Shore Elder Services; Rockport National Bank; Salem Five; Sidekim Foods; and W.B. Mason.
This year, Gov. Deval Patrick's proposed state budget includes a $1.5 million cut to the Elder Nutrition Program, which provides Meals on Wheels home-delivered meals and also group meals at community dining centers, such as the one at Rose Baker Senior Center. This represents a rather shocking 23 percent cut in state funding to the Elder Nutrition Programs.
Meals on Wheels drivers are often the only face a homebound senior sees during the course of an ordinary day, and they provide a valuable link to the community for isolated seniors, as well as a safety net. In addition to Meals on Wheels, the shared meal concept of community dining has also been very successful at keeping seniors healthy, and is, thus, a tremendously cost effective program.
For many seniors, the low-cost lunch represents an affordable way to get one-third of their daily nutritional requirements, and the social value of eating with others is immeasurable. Data from an Administration on Aging survey in 2009 showed that 73 percent of congregate and 85 percent of home-delivered meal recipients say they eat healthier meals due to the programs, and 58 percent of congregate and 93 percent of home-delivered meal recipients say that the meals enabled them to continue living in their homes.
As increases in fuel and food costs hit those seniors who eat at community dining sites, their ability to provide nutritious meals for themselves dwindles. Add the proposed budget cuts and it's not hard to see how more elders will suffer food insecurity or hunger.
Against that backdrop, it is particularly gratifying to see the community support offered by the Gloucester House and the previously mentioned sponsors, as well as the attendees of the Valentine Breakfast, all of whom understand the importance of these valuable programs to our seniors.
Dr. Robert H. Goddard, the Massachusetts physicist and rocket scientist, once said, "Resolve to be tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving, and tolerant with the weak and the wrong. Sometime in your life you will have been all of these."
It seems that the supporters of Meals on Wheels understand just what he meant. SeniorCare expressed grateful thanks to all for their compassion as another Valentine's Day brought our wonderful communities together again in support of our older neighbors.
Anne Springer is the public relations director of SeniorCare Inc., Cape Ann's local area agency on aging. To reach SeniorCare, call 978-281-1750.
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