Community Leaders Deliver on Mayors For Meals Day

Enis, 95 and Mayor Morrison

On Wednesday, March 21, Mayor Gus Morrison of Fremont and Mayor Al Nagy of Newark helped LIFE ElderCare volunteers deliver meals to seniors as part of the organization’s annual Mayors for Meals Day.  They were joined by five City Council members, Anu Natarajan, Suzanne Chan and Bill Harrison from Fremont, Maria Collazo from Newark and Emily Duncan from Union City.

“On this day, there are close to 1,200 other elected officials delivering meals all over the country to frail, homebound seniors,” said Mary Anderson, LIFE ElderCare Executive Director.  “We enjoy celebrating this event because it shows how important community support is in building and sustaining our Meals On Wheels program.  Last year we delivered over 102,000 meals and we could not have done it without the enthusiastic support of people like you.”

During the event, Suzanne Chan presented Anderson with a donation in honor of the late Fremont mayor, Bob Wasserman.  “This was a very special program to Bob and his wife Linda, a longtime Meals On Wheels driver,” said Chan.  “It takes financial support and volunteers to make a daily connection with the frail elderly who need our help.  I encourage all of you to join me in making a commitment to sustaining this vital service.”

In addition to providing meals, volunteers do a daily wellness check on each of the people on their route.  While delivering meals with Mayor Morrison, Janaki Arayambath, 46, warmly greeted each of the seniors and asked them how they were doing.  Janaki started volunteering four years ago when her son left for college and currently delivers meals three to four days a week on different routes.

“I had fun delivering meals today,” said Morrison.  “It gave me the chance to meet some of the older residents in our community and to hear about how grateful they are to be getting one hot meal a day.  I was also impressed by the commitment of the volunteers.”

Mayors For Meals Day is a component of March For Meals, a national campaign, initiated by the Meals On Wheels Association of America that utilizes the involvement of local Mayors and other elected officials to raise awareness of senior hunger. Senior nutrition programs across the United States, like LIFE ElderCare, promote the event through public events and partnerships with local businesses.  This year’s refreshments were provided by Super Suppers.

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LIFE ElderCare holds Annual Mayors for Meals Day

Despite the rainy weather, Mayors Bob Wasserman of Fremont and David Smith of Newark helped LIFE ElderCare volunteers deliver meals as part of the organization’s third Annual Mayors for Meals Day on March 23rd.  The mayors were joined this year by four City Council members – Ana Apadoca from Newark, Emily Duncan from Union City and Anu Natarajan and Suzanne Chan from Fremont.

During the event, Mayor David Smith praised the program for delivering 13,000 meals to Newark seniors last year and gave an update on the Newark Senior Center that closed recently due to budget cuts.  “I am happy to say that with the passage of Measure U in November we will be able to restore some services and reopen the Senior Center sometime in July.”

Suzanne Chan, Vice-Mayor of Fremont, who spoke on behalf of Mayor Wasserman said, “Currently, 400 at-risk seniors are getting daily meals from LIFE ElderCare’s MOW program.  We all know how much the seniors appreciate these meals and the warm, friendly volunteers who come to their house everyday to deliver them.”

Last year the volunteers delivered 95,472 meals, a 2,200 increase (in meals) over the previous year.  So far, the organization has been able to meet the need without creating a waiting list.  But to continue doing this they need the continuous support of the community.   If you are interested in volunteering or would like to make a financial contribution to their End Senior Hunger campaign, please visit www.lifeeldercare.org.

Rachael Vander Martin
LIFE ElderCare Communications Specialist

Full article was published in the Tri-City Voice on March 25, 2011.

 

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LIFE ElderCare to host Mayors for Meals Day on March 23, 2011

On Wednesday, March 23, LIFE ElderCare’s Meals On Wheels program will join other communities around the country for the 2011 Mayors For Meals Day.  To demonstrate their support for the program, the following mayors and city council members will ride along with a volunteer driver as they deliver meals to seniors in Fremont, Newark and Union City.

• Bob Wasserman, Mayor, City of Fremont
• David Smith, Mayor, City of Newark
• Ana Apadoca, City Council Member, Newark
• Emily Duncan, City Council Member, Union City
• Anu Natarajan, City Council Member, City of Fremont
• Suzanne Chan, City Council Member, City of Fremont

The event will include a brief presentation from 10:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. in the back parking lot of the City of Fremont office complex at 3300 Capitol Avenue.  Mary M. Anderson, Executive Director of LIFE ElderCare will talk about the organization’s End Senior Hunger Campaign and Mayors Wasserman and Smith will give updates on what Fremont and Newark are currently doing to help make the Tri-City area a better place for aging residents.  Light refreshments will be served from 9:45 a.m. to 10:30 am.

“We welcome the direct involvement of four city council members in this year’s Mayors for Meals Day,” said Anderson.  “There is no better way for them to witness how Meals On Wheels brings good nutrition, social contact and a daily check on a homebound senior’s well being. So often our Meals on Wheels volunteers are the only person a senior sees all day.  This annual event recognizes both the community’s care and concern on behalf of Tri-City seniors as well as the tremendous value Meals On Wheels volunteer drivers provide each and every day.”

March For Meals is a national campaign during the month of March, initiated by the Meals On Wheels Association of America (MOWAA), which seeks to raise awareness of senior hunger and to encourage action on the part of the local community. Mayors For Meals Day is a component of March For Meals that utilizes the involvement of local Mayors and other local elected officials.

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LIFE ElderCare’s Mayors for Meals Day 2010

LIFE ElderCare’s Meals On Wheels program joined other communities around the country today for the 2010 Mayors For Meals Day.   Mayors David Smith of Newark, Bob Wasserman of Fremont and Mark Green of Union City, (pictured at left) enthusiastically participated in the daily meal delivery to show support for seniors in their community.

Mayors for Meals Day is a national campaign, initiated by Meals On Wheels Association of America (MOWAA), which seeks to raise awareness of senior hunger and to encourage action on the part of the local community.  “Mayors Wasserman, Smith and Green have been strong partners in promoting LIFE ElderCare and the national Mayors For Meals Day reflects their commitment to continued quality of life on behalf of our Tri-City seniors” says Mary M. Anderson, LIFE ElderCare Executive Director.

When asked about how their city is planning for the increased number of seniors in the future, here is what the Tri-City mayors had to say:

“The rising surge in the number of seniors over the next 10 years is going to require cities to think about three things, affordable housing, transportation, and how to keep seniors as healthy as possible.  LIFE ElderCare’s Meals On Wheels program helps at-risk seniors in Union City live independently and get the daily nutrition they need to stay healthy.”  — Mark Green, Mayor of Union City

“We are now in a period of retrenchment and recently had to close the Newark senior center.  While we hope to make this service available again soon, right now we are just trying to sustain what we have.  If you can’t write a check to support Meals On Wheels, you can volunteer a few hours of your time.  I intend to do whatever I can to heighten awareness of LIFE ElderCare’s services so that more people can take advantage of their programs.”  — David Smith, Mayor of Newark

“New senior housing is important.  This year we will start building 96 apartment units of affordable senior housing in the Centerville District on Peralta.  The upcoming census will give us a better picture on what is needed in terms of future senior related projects.”  — Bob Wasserman, Mayor of Fremont

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