Meals on Wheels Association of America

The Meals on Wheels America strategy and impact team provides thought leadership, research and data, innovative programming and tools, and grant opportunities to aid local programs in extending their reach and impact. The team leverages best practices and evidence-based interventions in the foundational support systems that enable seniors to live independently; focused on nutrition, socialization, safety and community connections at both the national and local levels. The work also includes Meals on Wheels health that brings together our nationwide network in partnership with healthcare providers and payers that improve health outcomes and quality of care, while lowering costs of healthcare's high-risk, special needs population. The trust Meals on Wheels has built over decades of supporting seniors in their communities means our programs are invited into the homes of their clients daily, and therefore are able to identify any threatening changes in their condition or home safety hazards that need attention. As such, Meals on Wheels is also growing its role in the healthcare continuum, providing preventative support to our most vulnerable older americans that helps avert health crises before they happen and to support transitions out of hospitals, nursing homes and rehab centers back into their homes. In 2023, Meals on Wheels America was able to continue its capacity building efforts through its comprehensive grantmaking program that focused on individual and collaborative models for meeting unmet needs of clients, expanding availability of medically tailored Meals suited to the needs of older adults with chronic conditions, increasing availability of social connection opportunities to reduce isolation among high-risk older adults and support the human-animal bond, and support in-home safety through major and minor home repairs in addition, the strategy and impact team:-engages in research to demonstrate the impact and value that Meals on Wheels has in addressing hunger, malnutrition, isolation and loneliness among millions of seniors each year.-supported the 2021-2023 health resources and services administration's efforts to boost covid-19 vaccination rates among older americans by leveraging our network in an effort to increase vaccine awareness among this high-risk population.-deepened our investment in a range of supportive services that augment the core nutrition component of the Meals on Wheels service model through strategic partnerships with organizations like: -the home depot foundation in an initiative that enabled home repairs and safety modifications (such as installing ramps and grab bars) to be made by local programs to keep seniors safe and reduce fall risks. Together, we completed the 2,000th critical home repair for veterans and their families served by Meals on Wheels member programs in eight states.-petsmart charities which underwrote our national strategy and local grantmaking to help seniors keep and care for their beloved pets. Together, we funded more that 100,000 pounds of emergency pet food, accelerated access to veterinary care in 25 states and served thousands of the furry companions of Meals on Wheels clients.-caesars foundation which invested in essential infrastructure to accelerate the development of social connection programs to reduce senior isolation and loneliness. This included launching socialization pilots in multiple markets, with plans to refine and scale effective socialization programming across the Meals on Wheels network in the coming years. As more than 12,000 americans turn 60 every day, this work supports our commitment to ensuring that local Meals on Wheels programs have the tools and resources they need to meet the growing demand for services in their communities.

The Meals on Wheels America marketing and communications team raises visibility of the hidden and growing nationwide epidemics of senior hunger and isolation and the value/impact of Meals on Wheels. As such, the team works to strengthen and leverage the Meals on Wheels brand across America through various thought-leadership efforts, paid and donated media and digital marketing initiatives. This work is designed to garner more financial and volunteer support for this critical, yet under-resourced work, by engaging key influencers across multiple sectors, through multiple channels, with a simple call to action to volunteer, advocate and/or donate so that no senior is forgotten. In addition, this team supports the communications needs of our healthcare initiatives, membership, and advocacy teams to ensure that the national network is informed, engaged, and building a sustainable and effective future on behalf of America's older adults.

The Meals on Wheels America membership and advocacy teams provide direct member support in a variety of ways that include advocacy, education and training, program and capacity-building support and networking opportunities. The membership team recruits, engages, and retains members, and provides peer-to-peer learning, and a discount program that delivers savings on the products and services that local community-based nutrition organizations rely on to run their operations. They also produce training programs and learning opportunities for local Meals on Wheels program staff through a national conference, state association meetings, webinars, information sharing through online platforms, professional development and crisis response tools and resources. The advocacy team responds to input from our membership to set annual federal policy priorities, creates information and resources to support individual member advocacy efforts, shares opportunities for engagement around administrative and legislative policy matters, and leads direct federal advocacy efforts on behalf of the membership in the areas of senior hunger and social isolation. We educate members of congress and their staff about the critical assistance provided by local Meals on Wheels programs and work to advance legislation to strengthen and expand access to home-delivered and congregate senior nutrition programs, increase federal funding to meet the needs of a rapidly growing senior population and rising costs, and better support volunteers and charitable giving that are essential for the work of our network. The advocacy team also works closely with the administration for community living and other federal agencies to improve the implementation of federal policies and maximize the effectiveness and impact of critical programs that serve the older adult population.