CoA Host’s Community Champions Week to Help #EndTheWait

The week of March 17th – 21st is Community Champions week for the annual March for Meals campaign from Meals on Wheels of America (MoW).

This special week commemorates the historic day in March of 1972 when the Older Americans Act was amended to include a nutrition program for Americans 60 years and older, and it’s an important time for the Meals on Wheels network as we seek to End the Wait for older Americans.

“More than 50 years after this vital piece of legislation was passed, nearly 13 million older Americans are still threatened by or experience hunger, and one in three seniors feels lonely,” per MoW letter to community members.

In our community, the Council on Aging, Gladwin County (CoA) is working to provide nutrition to those homebound seniors here in Gladwin County.

The CoA participated again this year by inviting local community champions to come be a part of their meal program as a way to spread awareness of the senior hunger here in our community.

 City Council member, Jamie Sischo, joined them for a ride-along on one of their meal routes out of the Antler Arms Senior Dining Center on Tuesday, March 18, 2025.

Gladwin City Mayor, Sarah Kile, served up congregate meals at the Antler Arms location on Wednesday, March 19, 2025.

On Thursday, March 20, 2025, Gladwin County Sheriff, Mike Shea, and Gladwin County Commissioner, Karen Moore, helped serve congregate meals at two of the CoA’s dining centers. Shea served at the Antler Arms location and Moore helped serve the noon meal at the Beaverton Manor location.

Along with Community Champions week, MoW has launched its End the Wait campaign, which is a multip-year messaging platform that will enable MoW and its partners to educate and engage audiences across the Nation.

MoW has 5,000 organizations that assist in serving over 2 million homebound seniors every year. But, the organization is aware that there are millions more seniors who are waiting for assistance with nutrition and connection, thus, End the Wait was put into action.

If you would like to learn more about the CoA and their meal programs, you can find out more on their website: gladwincoa.org or call their office at: 989-426-5450.

If you would like to learn more about the MoW End the Wait campaign, you can find out more at: MealsOnWheelsAmerica.org/OurPlan.