Meals for Me program seeks a helping hand

Every time I go with a volunteer driver to deliver a meal to a homebound senior, I am struck by how happy the person becomes when we arrive. Smiles and pleasantries are shared before we are off to do it all again somewhere else. Another home, another meal, another smile.

And then there are the community dining rooms where seniors come together to laugh, catch up on “goin’ ons” in town and eat lunch with their peers.

Meals for Me, a program of Eastern Agency on Aging, would like to expand the program and serve even more people. You can help us make that goal a reality.

Alan Shawn Feinstein, a multimillionaire from Cranston, R.I., has a goal of ending hunger in the United States. For each of the past eight years, he has donated $1 million to organizations across the country that provide food to people in need. His funds are used as a match for monies raised by the food programs between March 1 and April 30. He calls this philanthropic event the Feinstein Challenge.

Meals for Me is taking that challenge. All donations that we receive, during March and April, will be eligible for a small portion of Feinstein’s $1 million.

“This is a really wonderful thing that he does every year,” said Gail Ward, director of nutrition at Eastern Agency. “As government funding shrinks and demand for services increases, it’s more important than ever before to look to the private sector for help.”

For 34 years, Ward has seen the number of meal donations fluctuate depending on the economy. Yet, through good times and bad, every elderly person who desired a meal received one.

“It is definitely difficult sometimes, but we would never ever turn someone away,” she said. “We may serve more casseroles in lean times, but rest assured, all the meals are nutritionally balanced. Less money often means cutting back of some of the special extras.”

These extras make a difference. From a decorated cake for a holiday celebration to fresh produce, Meals for Me tries to make lunch something to look forward to for the thousands of seniors it serves.

“Whether the patron is receiving a home-delivered meal or is visiting one of our many community dining rooms, we want their lunch to be special,” said Ward. “For the homebound, the volunteer delivery driver is often the only personal contact that the person will have during the course of a day. In addition to the nutrition of the meal, it is a nice check-in mechanism.”

The dining rooms have their own appeal and benefits, said Ward.

“If there was not a dining room for the seniors to come to, a great many of them would be eating lunch alone in front of the TV,” she added. “The dining rooms provide companionship for these people that they might not otherwise have.”

This is music to Feinstein’s ears. He believes that we are each put on this earth to help those in need. His $1 million will go a long way toward that end, as the money is divided proportionately among all agencies that take the challenge. The amount raised dictates the amount of the match.

“We hope to raise $10,000 this year,” said Ward. “It is always exciting to see how supportive the community is when we start getting donations.” Of course, all donations are tax-deductible.

If you’d like to take the Feinstein Challenge, make out a check to Meals for Me Challenge and mail to Meals for Me, 450 Essex St., Bangor, ME 04401, or you can deliver your donation to EAA or your local MfM dining room. You may also donate online at www.eaaa.org.

Carol Higgins is director of communications at Eastern Agency on Aging. For information on EAA, call 941-2865, e-mail info@eaaa.org or log on to www.eaaa.org.