GENESEO, N.Y., Mar. 9, 2023 – The Livingston County Board of Supervisors has proclaimed the month of March as March for Meals in celebration of the County’s efforts to address food insecurity, loneliness and malnutrition in residents aged 60 and over.
First signed into law in 1965 by President Richard Nixon, the Older Americans Act supports the nutritional and social needs of seniors, caregivers and their families. The legislation was further enhanced in 1972 with the Title III-C Nutrition Program that aims to reduce hunger, promote socialization and improve the health and overall well-being of older adults by assisting them in gaining access to nutrition and other disease prevention and health promotion services.
Locally, the Livingston County Senior Nutrition Program offers nutritious meals to older adults throughout the County’s 17 towns through congregate dining sites and home-delivered meals to eligible participants. The program has proven to be an essential service in the County for decades and has delivered needed meals, interaction and supplies to seniors during the COVID-19 Pandemic, inclement weather and other emergencies.
“This has truly been a team effort,” said Sue Carlock, Director of the Livingston County Office for the Aging. “Thank you to Jessica Wilkins, our Senior Nutrition Program Coordinator, to all of the staff and volunteers without whom we could not operate the program. Thank you to our casework, fiscal and support staff, our community partners and our state and federal funders. I’d also like to offer a huge thank you to the Livingston County Board of Supervisors and the County Administrator for their tremendous support.”
The program has been particularly impactful on older adults who live alone and are below the poverty line. Over 70 percent of those receiving home-delivered meals in the County are over the age of 75 with 34 percent being over the age of 85. Additionally, roughly 75 percent of those receiving home-delivered meals are frail or have a disability. Aside from the nutritional benefits associated with the program, over 85 percent of those receiving home-delivered meals in the County indicated that the meals and program have helped them to remain within their home and feel more secure. For roughly 60 percent of those participating in the program, the meal they receive accounts for at least half of the food they eat in any given day.
“The Livingston County Senior Nutrition Program has had a significant impact on our residents and their families,” said David L. LeFeber, Chair of the Livingston County Board of Supervisors. “This program not only provides a powerful opportunity for social connection for hundreds of seniors, but has helped them maintain their independence and combat the negative health effects associated with isolation and malnutrition.”
To learn more about the County’s Senior Nutrition Program, please visit the Office for the Aging website or call (585) 243-7520.
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About Livingston County:
Founded in 1821, Livingston County, N.Y., is comprised of more than 61,000 residents in 17 towns located across 631 square miles of the Finger Lakes region.