Elderbridge is seeking funding to implement an Emergency Shelf Stable Meals Program for 2,500 homebound lower-income clients across our 29-county region. Our target beneficiaries include individuals with restricted mobility, such as frail elderly individuals or those with health conditions that hinder them from leaving their homes easily or regularly.
The program's primary objective is to provide essential, shelf-stable meals to address the nutritional needs of vulnerable homebound individuals during emergencies or situations where regular meal access is challenging.
We anticipate the meals will have a direct and positive impact on the lives of 2,500 homebound individuals, ensuring their nutritional needs are met and enhancing overall quality of life.
Our Nutrition Program originated in 1974, incorporating both congregate and home-delivered meals. Over time, it has expanded to encompass nutrition education sessions and counseling covering diverse health topics. These educational classes span a variety of subjects, including Tai Chi for Arthritis, Matter of Balance (a class focusing on fall prevention), identification of depression, diabetes management, weight loss strategies, and other facets of promoting healthy aging. The program is designed to actively involve older adults, contributing to the enhancement of their overall well-being.
Our goals center around alleviating hunger, ensuring steady access to nutritious food, and fostering social interaction. The nutrition services we provide play a crucial role in enhancing overall well-being, preventing diseases, and postponing the onset of chronic illness.
At the pandemic's onset, Elderbridge received COVID-19 relief funds to address increased food demand. The Nutrition Program gained 2,467 new clients. Consumer prices rose by 9.1% in June 2022, the largest increase in 40 years. Food prices surged even faster, reaching 13.5% by August 2023, as per recent US Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
In fiscal year 2023, Elderbridge served a total of 477,288 meals to 7,738 clients within our region. Of these, 2,549 clients were homebound.
Providing emergency shelf-stable meals isn't an annual requirement or part of our nutrition budget at Elderbridge. However, these meals play a crucial role in complementing our Nutrition Program by addressing the urgent and essential needs of homebound individuals during unforeseen circumstances. In instances where regular home-delivered meals are unavailable due to emergencies or disruptions.
Meal site closures occur annually due to various reasons, including staff illness, equipment breakdowns (e.g., refrigerator, stove, or dishwasher malfunctions), and adverse weather conditions such as blizzards, ice storms, etc. Frozen or broken pipes and flooding have also led to meal site closures. Closures not only affect participants reliant on these sites for meals and social interaction but also impact volunteers responsible for delivering hot meals to homebound clients. Most meal delivery volunteers are older adults who do not feel comfortable delivering meals in adverse weather conditions. The advantage of shelf-stable meals is that they don't require cooking or refrigeration, allowing clients to conveniently consume them at room temperature.
Clients like Ruthie and Bob have benefited significantly from our services. Ruthie, recovering from a car accident, received home-delivered meals for two months until she could resume her normal activities. Bob, battling cancer, received home-delivered meals during chemotherapy. Post-recovery, he transitioned to a congregate meal site for healthy meals and social interaction.
During open meal site days, homebound clients like Ruthie and Bob receive hot meals delivered by volunteers. However, closures of meal sites due to various reasons disrupt these crucial services. To address this challenge, an emergency meal grant serves as a vital solution, ensuring that individuals like Ruthie and Bob continue to have access to meals during such disruptions. The funding will be utilized to purchase shelf-stable meal kits, and the Elderbridge Healthy Aging Coordinators will distribute these kits to congregate meal sites. Subsequently, volunteers will deliver them to assigned clients before the onset of winter months.
