Month-long March for Meals celebration in Carson City

Meals on Wheels Carson City, a program administered by the Carson City Senior Center, has announced it’s participating in the 17th annual March for Meals — a month-long, nationwide celebration of Meal on Wheels and our senior neighbors who rely on the vital service to remain healthy and independent at home.

Meals on Wheels Carson City’s celebration includes the unveiling of the program’s newly wrapped vehicles, and various activities throughout the March, including special guest bingo games, and will culminate with the annual Kiwanis Club Spaghetti Feed fundraiser on Saturday, April 13, from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Senior Center, 911 Beverly Drive.

“The services we provide are a lifeline for seniors of Carson City, and the need is rapidly increasing,” Courtney Warner, executive director of the Senior Center, said. “Together, we can keep our senior neighbors well-nourished, feeling safer and more connected to our community as they age.”

Warner said Meals on Wheels Carson City has been able to meet the demands of delivering nutritious meals each day and frozen meals on weekends and holidays to nearly 300 home-bound seniors, but the rising demand is stressing the program.

Much-needed funding not covered by state and federal grants comes from proceeds from the Second Wind Thrift Store, fundraisers like the Spaghetti Feed, community donations and funds raised by bingo games held on Thursdays and the second and fourth Sundays of each month. The center also recently launched a new donor program, Join the Reliables, which seeks small-amount recurring gifts from the community.

“For the first time in 30 years, we are turning to the community to help us support our homebound seniors with small donations of $6, or the cost of one meal,” she said. “Our Meals on Wheels participants depend on community support. We truly appreciate the generosity of our Carson City family.”

The annual March for Meals celebration commemorates the historic day in March 1972 when President Nixon signed into law a measure that amended the Older Americans Act of 1965 to include a national nutrition program for seniors 60 years and older. Since 2002, community-based Meals on Wheels programs from across the country have joined forces for the annual awareness campaign to celebrate this successful public-private partnership and garner the support needed to fill the gap between the seniors served and those still in need.

“The month of March is a fitting time to not only celebrate the successful history of Meals on Wheels, but also bring us together to support a solution that will strengthen communities into the future,” said Ellie Hollander, president and CEO of Meals on Wheels America. “With 12,000 Americans turning 60 each day, now is the time to invest in these vital programs so that we can provide every senior in need with the nutritious meals, friendly visits and safety checks that will enable them to live healthier and independent in their own homes.”

For information on how you can volunteer, contribute or Join the Reliables recurring donor campaign, visit www.carsoncityseniorcenter.org.

Note: A video featuring Meals on Wheels Carson City may be found at https://youtu.be/y60U85lQDZs.