The FACTS:
–Clackamas County Meals on Wheels operates independently of The Meals on Wheels People and receive NO funding from them.
-All home delivered meals in Clackamas County are prepared and served from one of the 10 adult meal sites.
– In the last fiscal year, CCMOW served over 185,418 hot meals to seniors or disabled residents throughout the county.
-Our Volunteers prepare and deliver over 15,452 meals monthly. Some meal sites serve daily, others four to five times a week.
-Average cost for the meal and related assistance last year was approximately $7.00. This includes an initial assessment as well as ongoing monitoring of each recipient to identify other needed services.
-Our home delivered meals program operates under the guidelines of the Older Americans Act and receives funds from both OAA and NSIP (Nutrition Services Incentive Programs (USDA).
-OAA and NSIP funds pay for just less than one-third the cost of each meal; voluntary recipient donations add approximately one more dollar per meal.
-With the rising cost of gas, food and supplies, the meal costs continue to rise but Federally mandated funds and individual donations have not.
-Center donations and fund-raisers have always paid the difference but Clackamas County Meals on Wheels anticipates an additional $150,000 shortfall, in funding during this fiscal year.
–Clackamas County Meals on Wheels, Inc. works to bring awareness to the Meals on Wheels program and helping to raise dollars to bridge the gap in funding.
The NEEDS:
–Its easy to forget that hunger occurs throughout the year.
-More than 10% of our country’s elder population lives at or below the national poverty rate. That rate has doubled since 2006.
-Clackamas County’s aging population grows by over 7% each year and is expected to double by 2050.
-in 2014, 63,986 adults over the age of 65 lived in Clackamas county.
-Home delivered meals reaffirm the dignity of each person.
-Home delivered meals help to maintain an independent life style regardless of income.
-Home delivered meals SAVE TAX DOLLARS by delaying the move to a residential care facility.
-Our home delivered meals program depends on volunteers to help prepare and deliver hot meals midday meals four to five times a week.
-Although meant to cover just one third of daily dietary needs, home delivered meals often become the primary food source for both lunch and dinner.
-In Clackamas County the need is rapidly growing but the funding to service the demand is not.
–We must find new sources of funding.
–We need your support!