Whatcom/San Juan Senior Nutrition Program, a section of the Whatcom Council on Aging, is celebrating its second annual March for Meals campaign this month with 10 community events focused on spreading awareness and raising money for senior hunger.
The March for Meals campaign is part of the Meals on Wheels Association of America. The association “encourages programs at the local level to run their own campaign throughout the month of March,” Julie Meyers, Director of the Whatcom/San Juan Senior Nutrition Program said.
Meyers is almost in her third year working for the program and is excited about the success of the events so far. “We’re just trying to get the word out so people can use our services and we can continue to grow our services,” Meyers said.
The events are open to the public and participants are encouraged to give what they can to the campaign. All of the funds raised will be put toward the program to bring meals to seniors.
According to an Nhanes study about food security, one in six seniors nationwide are at risk for hunger, Meyers said. In Bellingham, 80% of the Meals on Wheels clients self-reported that they have either low or extremely low income according to local standards and 75% of those are at high nutritional risk, according to the dietician who does an in-home assessment of every client who signs up for Meals on Wheels in Bellingham.
“We want to make sure people know that we’re part of a nonprofit,” Meyers said. “We receive less than 40% of our funds from the federal government, so all of our meals are donation based. We’re out there fundraising for a good third or more of our expenses.”
Meyers works with the Bellingham Senior Activity Center to coordinate events, one of which was “Lunch with Mayor Kelli Linville” held on Fri. March 14 at the center. Mayor Linville helped serve food to the seniors at the center and spread awareness of the need for funds.
“When I was a legislator, I always supported the Meals on Wheels program because it’s so important for elderly to get good nutrition and sometimes we forget about that,” said Linville.
Linville was able to work with the city to provide $60,000 in emergency funds for Meals on Wheels during this next year so that “people can still get the food they need conveniently and well prepared,” Linville said.
“So it’s just social services in our city,” Linville said. We get a lot of really good programs, and this is one of them, and so I’m happy to support them.
Linville plays a large part in bringing awareness to the campaign as well as Meyers, whose involvement goes beyond her duties as Director of the program.
“My role is more administrative right now because I coordinate the programs, but my background in clinical nutrition allows me to really understand the importance of nutrition in maintaining the health and independence of seniors.” Meyers said.
The Whatcom/San Juan Senior Nutrition Program serves meals to nine of the senior centers in Whatcom County and three of the local high rises in town, Meyers said. Meals are prepared mostly by volunteers who make up around 80 percent of the staff. Last year Meals on Wheels served 61,800 meals in Whatcom and San Juan counties with 34,000 of those meals served to 180 people in Bellingham, Meyers said.
“It’s fun,” Meyers said. “I enjoy meeting lots of people and knowing that we’re really serving a population in need.”
The campaign has brought attention to senior hunger in the community and other companies in Bellingham have joined with the program. The local Subaru dealership donated money toward sandwiches for the St. Patty’s Day Breakfast and Parade on Saturday March 15 in Bellingham.
“They’ve stepped up and really become a huge supporter,” Meyers said. “They’ve really been helping us out. All this awareness building helps us build community partners too.”
Joan Fortune, a member of the Northwest Senior Services Board, was present at the lunch with the mayor at the Bellingham Senior Activity Center and is satisfied with how the program has helped the community.
“We’re serving many men; many men who don’t cook or cook a hot meal,” Fortune said. “And this is their main meal of the day for many of them. We have many men who age and find their socialization as well as their nutrition here. “This is their social center. This is the activity that draws them.”
At the Bellingham Senior Activity Center, lunch is served from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Monday through Friday. One meal ticket is $5 for adults over 60, $6 for adults under 60, and pay-by-donation for low income seniors or people who cannot afford to pay every time.
The Sumas Senior Center is hosting the next event, a community dinner, on Wednesday March 19 at 5:54 p.m. For information on how to support the campaign or participate in the remaining March for Meals events, visit http://wccoa.org/index.php/Nutrition/.
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