Press Release FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 11, 2025 CONTACT: Lynn Sutfin, 517-241-2112, [email protected] Governor Whitmer proclaims March for Meals Month in Michigan LANSING, Mich. – The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) is joining with the federal Administration for Community Living and senior nutrition service providers in celebrating the 53rd anniversary of the Senior Nutrition Program as part of March for Meals Month. “For more than 50 years, senior nutrition services have helped create healthy, strong communities where all members can flourish, including our older residents,” said Elizabeth Hertel, MDHHS director. “The Senior Nutrition Program ensures we provide nutritional and social supports to those in need. It is often the gateway for referrals to other nutrition and wellness services such as nutrition education and counseling services, health promotion and disease prevention programs, and other home and community-based services.” Since 1972, the national Senior Nutrition Program has supported nutrition services for older adults. Funded by the Older Americans Act, local senior nutrition programs serve as hubs for adults ages 60 and older to access meals and other vital services that strengthen social connections and promote health and well-being. In recognition of the impact of the Senior Nutrition Program, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has declared this month as March for Meals Month in Michigan. Each year in the U.S., up to half of adults over 65 are at risk of malnutrition and more than 10 million face hunger. In communities throughout Michigan, older adults sometimes lack access to the high-quality, nutritious food they need to remain healthy and independent. According to the Current Population Survey Food Security Supplement conducted by the U.S. Census for the U.S. Department of Agriculture for 2021, 9.8% of older adults in Michigan have only marginal food security, meaning their “households had problems at times, or anxiety about, accessing adequate food.” Another 6% experience low food security, with households reducing “the quality, variety and desirability of their diets,” and 2.7% have very low food security where “at times during the year, eating patterns of one or more household members were disrupted and food intake reduced because the household lacked money and other resources for food.” That means more than 337,000 members of Michigan’s population age 65 and older are not fully food secure. As part of the Senior Nutrition Program network, local Area Agencies on Aging, Commissions on Aging, senior centers and other local organizations help older adults across the state by promoting healthy eating, decreasing social isolation and improving health. These partners also provide connections to home and community-based services, such as home-delivered meals and congregate dining sites that can support independence and overall well-being. In Michigan in fiscal year 2024, 8.7 million meals were provided to nearly 50,000 home-delivered meal recipients, with another 1.5 million meals served to nearly 42,000 older adults through congregate dining sites at more than 450 different locations, including senior centers and senior housing complexes. For more information about programs and services for older adults and how you can support senior nutrition, visit the Behavioral and Physical Health and Aging Services Administration or the Senior Nutrition Program promotion video. |
Governor proclaims March for Meals Month in Michigan
