April 11, 2019 - Issue: Vol. 165, No. 63 — Daily Edition116th Congress (2019 - 2020) - 1st Session

[Pages S2431-S2432]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  RECOGNIZING VERMONT MEALS ON WHEELS

 Mr. SANDERS. Mr. President, I would like to recognize the 
tremendous work of Vermont's Meals on Wheels programs. Last year, Meals 
on Wheels prepared and home-delivered nearly 800,000 freshly cooked 
nutritious meals to more than 5,700 Vermont seniors. In our State the 
second oldest in the Nation, these meals are essential to helping 
ensure that older Vermonters, particularly those living in rural areas, 
have access to adequate nutrition.
  These meals are made possible by the hard work of hundreds of 
dedicated professionals and volunteers at Vermont's five Area Agencies 
on Aging, local Meals on Wheels providers, and senior centers. From the 
chefs who prepare the nutritious meals, to the senior center staff that 
coordinate deliveries, to the volunteer drivers who deliver the meals, 
Vermont's Meals on Wheels network is a critically important part of our 
social safety net for older Vermonters.
  Of course, Meals on Wheels is much more than just delivering a 
nutritious meal, as important as that is. Volunteer drivers also 
provide invaluable social interaction and companionship for the seniors 
they visit, which goes a

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long way to combat the effects of isolation that many older Vermonters 
face, especially if they live alone or in a more rural community. 
Without this social interaction, seniors are more likely to have 
feelings of loneliness and depression, which puts them at higher risk 
for dementia, chronic disease, falls, and hospitalization.
  The regular visits by Meals on Wheels volunteers serve another 
purpose, as well. The drivers check to make sure that the seniors are 
safe, secure, and warm. They know each person they visit and recognize 
immediately if something doesn't seem right. It is no exaggeration to 
say that Meals on Wheels volunteers have averted tragedies and even 
saved lives after finding seniors who have fallen or are in the midst 
of a medical emergency.
  Last month was ``March for Meals,'' when Meals on Wheels programs 
across the country commemorate the March 1972 signing into law of an 
amendment to the Older Americans Act of 1965 to create a national 
nutrition program for seniors 60 years and older. As we often do, many 
of my Vermont staff rode along with Meals on Wheels volunteers across 
the State to see the wonderful work they are doing and highlight the 
importance of Meals on Wheels in the lives of thousands of Vermonters.
  Let me end by thanking the Meals on Wheels staff and volunteers in 
Vermont for their remarkable work.

                          ____________________