PHOTO CREDIT: Old Colony Elder Services
BROCKTON AND PLYMOUTH, MA… 100 residents of Campello High Rise gathered for a “March for Meals” Caribbean lunch held March 27, 2024 and led by the Old Colony Elder Services (OCES) Nutrition Department.
March for Meals is a part of Meals on Wheels America’s national campaign. OCES’ March for Meals event highlighted the local impact of Meals on Wheels and Community Dining, as well as the importance of funding needed to maintain and expand the program to assist consumers facing food insecurity.
The luncheon was held in Brockton’s Campello High Rise, with special guests in attendance: Senator Michael Brady; Representative Michelle Dubois; Representative Rita Mendes; Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy Cruz; Minhtram Tran, Chief Legal Counsel of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion from the Plymouth County District Attorney’s Office; and Christina Fitzgerald, Community Programs Coordinator from the Plymouth County District Attorney’s Office.
OCES’ Nutrition Department provides essential food services including over 537,000 meals each year to consumers living within 23 communities in Greater Plymouth County. OCES has over 600 volunteers in their Nutrition Program delivering over 2,000 nutritious meals each weekday to homebound older adults.
“The Nutrition Program is critical to many homebound older adults and the need for Meals on Wheels has grown exponentially over the last year,” said Nicole M. Long, CEO of OCES, the largest provider of in-home and community-based services for older adults and people living with disabilities in Plymouth County and surrounding areas. “We are very grateful to our supporters and volunteers who make a difference every day in the lives of people facing food insecurity.”
About March for Meals
The month of March is when The Meals on Wheels network joins forces to celebrate “March for Meals”. This recognizes the historic day in March 1972 when President Nixon signed into law a measure that amended the Older Americans Act (OAA) of 1965 to include a national nutrition program for seniors 60 years and older. For more than 50 years OAA has been the foundational source of federal funding for senior nutrition programs across the country that collectively deliver more than 247 million meals to 2.8 million seniors annually.
To learn more about OCES’ Nutrition program in Brockton and throughout Plymouth County, visit www.ocesma.org.
About OCES
Celebrating 50 Years of Care and Collaboration and recognized as one of the 2023 Best Places to Work by Cape & Plymouth Business Media, OCES is a private, nonprofit organization with locations in Brockton and Plymouth. OCES is designated as one of 23 Aging Services Access Points (ASAPs) in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and proudly serves Plymouth County and surrounding communities. Through the talent of an experienced and diverse workforce, OCES supports the independence and dignity of older adults and individuals with disabilities by providing essential information and services that promote healthy, safe living which positively impacts our community. The agency offers several programs to serve older adults, individuals with disabilities, their families, and caregivers. For more information call 508-584-1561 or visit www.ocesma.org.
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