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Counties Receive National Awards for Meals on Wheels for Seniors
July 28, 2009
Six New York State counties have won March For Meals campaign awards for exemplary service to the senior citizens in their communities. The awards, sponsored by the Meals On Wheels Association of America (MOWAA), were presented to:
- Cortland County Nutrition Program
- Onondaga County Department of Aging & Youth
- Meals on Wheels Monroe County
- Meals on Wheels of Chemung County
- Oneida County Senior Nutrition Program
- Cattaraugus County Council of Aging
"These awards are a great honor for these counties, and they demonstrate the commitment to caring for the needs of the seniors in their communities," said NYSAC Executive Director Stephen J. Acquario. "Much of the work that counties do on a day-to-day basis is invisible to the public. Meals on Wheels is one of those programs that mostly operates outside of the public eye, but it provides square meals to seniors who would likely not have access to vital nutrition."
March For Meals is an annual national campaign, held in March of every year, and designed to increase public awareness, recruit new volunteers and increase funding for Members of the Meals On Wheels Association of America (MOWAA) Member local Senior Nutrition Programs.
"It is through the coordination of county programs like Meals on Wheels that more and more of older New Yorkers will be able to stay healthy and in their homes as they age," said Michael Burgess, Director of the New York State Office for the Aging.
In addition to receiving this award this summer, the Onondaga County Department of Aging & Youth was awarded a $10,000 Wal-Mart Cure grant from MOWAA and the Wal-Mart Foundation to support their local nutrition program. The grant will enable Onondaga County to help maintain and recruit volunteer drivers and to restore their rural delivery routes –which were cut to three days – back to five days. "This grant awards will allow us to feed more of our senior clients in need and make a tremendous impact in our community,” said Nancy Schmid, Director of Nutrition Services for the Department of Aging and Youth.
MOWAA is the oldest and largest national organization in the United States representing those programs that provide meals to people in need. To obtain more information or to locate a local Meals On Wheels program, visit the MOWAA website at www.mowaa.org.
The New York State Association of Counties is a bipartisan municipal association serving all 62 counties of New York State including the City of New York. Organized in 1925, NYSAC’s mission is to represent, educate and advocate for member counties and the thousands of elected and appointed county officials who serve the public.
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