March for Meals Community Champions Week  

The NEK Council on Aging’s Meals on Wheels Program, along with elected officials, are preparing to celebrate the March for Meals Community Champions Week (March 18-22) in honor of the dozens of volunteers and staff who serve in the community meal sites and Meals on Wheels Program across the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont.

Every March, and across the entire country, the Meals on Wheels programs enlist elected officials, local celebrities, and other prominent figures to deliver meals, speak out for seniors, and raise awareness of the power of Meals on Wheels. Representatives from Senator Bernie Sanders office are visiting meal sites this week.

The annual March for Meals commemorates the historic day in 1972 when President Nixon signed into law a measure that amended the Older Americans Act of 1965 and established a national nutrition program for seniors 60 and older. Since 2002, 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 seniors served and those still in need.

"This March, we are honoring the dedicated volunteers and staff who support our 15 Meals on Wheels locations throughout the NEK”, said Meg Burmeister, Executive Director for the NEK Council on Aging. “This amazing group of cooks, servers, hosts, and drivers distribute meals across three counties and in some of the most rural areas of Vermont. They deliver nutritious meals and offer friendly visits and safety checks to some of our most at-risk older Vermonters, all year long. As the demand for Meals on Wheels continues to grow, we are always in need of volunteers."