To provide homebound seniors with both sustenance and companionship during the holiday season, Catholic Charities of Southern Nevada's Meals on Wheels program, which delivers about 2,500 meals daily across the Las Vegas Valley, has made a noteworthy expansion thanks to federal funding. With new equipment in place, more seniors will stay fed and out of isolation as the program aims to not only deliver meals but also check in on the recipients, ensuring a touch of human contact which might be the only one they experience consistently, FOX5 Vegas reports.
During a tour of the upgraded facilities, Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto acknowledged the persistent need in the community, stating, "I would love to say that the need is not there, I would love to say we don't have a homeless problem, we don't have seniors who are struggling right now but we do," which she shared in a statement obtained by FOX5 Vegas. The Meals on Wheels program not only mitigates hunger but also enhances overall health and security, allows seniors to live independently in their own homes, and offers weekly wellness checks.
President of Catholic Charities Deacon Tom Roberts, responsible for the growth of the program which began serving seniors in 1975, and now prepares to retire, sees the facility's expansion as a more production-based, efficient system that can handle the increasing demand; still, the program faces a backlog, with 1000 seniors currently on a waiting list. "So menu engineering, and recipes, and all those things that are important are very directed, based on the equipment and that capacity is going to allow us to do more," Roberts recounted to FOX5 Vegas. This renovation was possible partly due to the American Rescue Plan and other legislative funds, aiming to double the program's capacity in recent years.
On the Catholic Charities of Southern Nevada website, Catholic Charities outlines the escalation of senior hunger nationwide, with one in six seniors struggling, an issue compounded as the baby boom generation ages; they provide seven nutritionally balanced, frozen meals to approximately 2,450 clients each week, however, the program still relies heavily on private donations and grants to cover the costs, with sponsors such as UnitedHealthcare, Thomas Spiegel Family Foundation, and NV Energy Foundation contributing to the cause. Despite these challenges and the ongoing search for additional resources, the service remains at no cost to the recipient, and with the upgrades, is set for an enhanced capacity to serve and connect with those in need.
