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Critical Support for our SeniorsOur senior citizens are members of the “greatest generation” yet many are low income and need our help. In Iowa, it is estimated that 15% of our senior citizens who are no longer working rely exclusively on Social Security for their retirement income. Statistics on poverty show that close to 10% of senior citizens live at or below the poverty level and another 25% struggle to meet their basic living needs. These senior citizens need our support.
Meals on Wheels staff and volunteers are committed to enriching lives and promoting independent healthy living by offering nutritious food and a friendly visit. Our Meals on Wheels program provides nutritious meals to frail elderly and homebound seniors and individuals with disabilities who no long have the ability to cook nutritious meals for themselves. Five days a week, Meals on Wheels volunteers deliver hot, nutritious meals and a warm smile to seniors in need. Offering nutritious home-delivered meals is not simply a matter of convenience - it's a service that allows our frail elderly seniors and the disabled in the greater Fort Dodge area to remain safely in their own homes for as long as they desire.
Our Meals on Wheels volunteers also provide a safety check that offers clients a sense of caring, support and friendship. For many of the Meals on Wheels clients, human contact and friendly conversations may be the only human contact that they will have during the day. The importance of the daily visit is, quite simply, immeasurable.
Safety of our seniors is also very important, that is why there is much more to Meals on Wheels than healthy food. Meals on Wheels volunteers provide clients with a safety check in case a client has fallen, become ill or is in an unsafe condition in his or her home. All volunteers watch for troubling developments in each home. This provides peace of mind for clients and their families.
United Way funds provide support for senior citizens facing emergency situations and need our help when dealing with a crisis that might be impacting their health, safety or well-being.
United Way helps frail elderly seniors that might need a window air conditioner, or a microwave oven, durable medical equipment or maybe a safety home repair.
We must not forget our community’s senior citizens—a generation that has survived The Great Depression, World War II, the Korean and Vietnam wars. This generation came home from these wars and built our country. They deserve our respect and our support. Now it is our turn to return the favor by providing the support services that many of these seniors need and deserve.
