Empire BlueCross Grants $30,000 to Meals On Wheels
Tuesday, February 10th, 2009
Empire BlueCross, located on Corporate Woods Boulevard, Albany recently presented a $30,000 grant to Senior Services of Albany’s Meals On Wheels program, the largest home delivered meal program in upstate New York. Meals On Wheels delivers more than 1,000 meals each day to disabled and homebound elderly, and in 2008, delivered more than 308,000 meals.
The grant will go to the purchase of updated kitchen equipment.
“We are thrilled to have corporate partners like Empire BlueCross step in at a time where the economy is really having an impact on community giving and volunteerism – particularly when the need to feed seniors is on the rise,” said Jane Schramm, Executive Director, Senior Services of Albany.
The Albany Meals On Wheels kitchen facility services hundreds of seniors and homebound citizens in the Capital District. Subsidized by private, community and government funds, Meals On Wheels is available to those at least 60 years of age who are generally unable to prepare meals, through referrals from a doctor, neighbor, family, friend, as well as through self-referrals.
In a national study sponsored by the Meals On Wheels Association of America Foundation (MOWAAF), “The Causes, Consequences, and Future of Senior Hunger in America,” research showed that 1 in 9 seniors is at-risk of hunger in the U.S. today. This number is expected to rise as the older adult population grows.
“We have a responsibility to maintain the health and vitality of our communities, particularly when it comes to ensuring that our seniors and home-bound citizens have access to healthy meals,” said Mark Wagar, President of Empire BlueCross BlueShield. “We look forward to visiting MOW this spring – and hope that it will inspire others to embrace a commitment and dedication to the local senior community.”
Empire BlueCross, located on Corporate Woods Boulevard, Albany recently presented a $30,000 grant to Senior Services of Albany’s Meals On Wheels program, the largest home delivered meal program in upstate New York. Meals On Wheels delivers more than 1,000 meals each day to disabled and homebound elderly, and in 2008, delivered more than 308,000 meals.
The grant will go to the purchase of updated kitchen equipment.
“We are thrilled to have corporate partners like Empire BlueCross step in at a time where the economy is really having an impact on community giving and volunteerism – particularly when the need to feed seniors is on the rise,” said Jane Schramm, Executive Director, Senior Services of Albany.
The Albany Meals On Wheels kitchen facility services hundreds of seniors and homebound citizens in the Capital District. Subsidized by private, community and government funds, Meals On Wheels is available to those at least 60 years of age who are generally unable to prepare meals, through referrals from a doctor, neighbor, family, friend, as well as through self-referrals.
In a national study sponsored by the Meals On Wheels Association of America Foundation (MOWAAF), “The Causes, Consequences, and Future of Senior Hunger in America,” research showed that 1 in 9 seniors is at-risk of hunger in the U.S. today. This number is expected to rise as the older adult population grows.
“We have a responsibility to maintain the health and vitality of our communities, particularly when it comes to ensuring that our seniors and home-bound citizens have access to healthy meals,” said Mark Wagar, President of Empire BlueCross BlueShield. “We look forward to visiting MOW this spring – and hope that it will inspire others to embrace a commitment and dedication to the local senior community.”