Atlanta seniors face ‘unprecedented’ food crisis: How you can help

Atlanta – In Atlanta, there are currently more seniors facing hunger than at any time since 1965, according to a local nonprofit.

Just over 600 seniors are on Meals On Wheels Atlanta’s waiting list for meals, a number not seen since the organization’s founding in 1965.

“This is a record for us,” said Charlene Crusoe-Ingram, CEO of MOWA. We have never had so many seniors on our waiting list. It really depends on our food costs. »

Charlene Crusoe-Ingram, CEO of Meals On Wheels Atlanta (right) and creative director Brandon Jenkins (left) pose for photos during the 3rd annual TASTE event, May 31, 2024. (Photos by Kim Evans)

Crusoe-Ingram said inflation has caused food prices to rise by as much as 30 percent, putting Atlanta’s seniors in a vulnerable position. Many of them have to choose between food, necessary medicines and utilities.

“We’re just trying to keep up, and we’re not keeping up,” Crusoe-Ingram said of the senior hunger crisis.

Among the elderly fed by MOWA, 70 percent rely on the organization as their sole source of food. MOWA provides these seniors with two nutritional meals per day, prepared by the organization’s in-house culinary team and delivered by MOWA and hard-working volunteers. They deliver up to 525,000 meals to seniors each year, or 1,800 meals per day. MOWA also operates a free emergency food pantry, pet pantry, home repair program, and companionship program.

“We feed the seniors that we have, we’re committed to that,” Crusoe-Ingram said. “As we get more funding, we will remove seniors from this waiting list.”

A key part of MOWA’s fundraising strategy now revolves around recruiting and retaining Atlanta’s young professionals.

“We want them to come, volunteer and eventually become donors,” Crusoe-Ingram said.

And if MOWA’s first of four annual charity events, TASTE, is anything to go by, it looks like MOWA is poised to target the city’s young professionals and get them to care about the current food crisis.

Atlanta native and content creator Myles Barrineau attended last year’s TASTE event and was invited back this year as an official TASTE influencer.

“I love supporting any mission to give back to the Atlanta community,” Barrineau said. “I think it’s very important to take care of each other as neighbors, especially our seniors who have paved the way for so much growth and opportunity in this city.”

More than 500 people attended TASTE: A Recipe For Change on Friday, May 31. This was the third year TASTE brought together Atlanta chefs to provide bites to attendees and honored 10 influential TASTEmakers for their dedication to bringing change to Atlanta. community.

Morgan Tolley, a young professional and content creator from Atlanta, attended this year’s TASTE event and said she recently discovered MOWA.

“I am a pharmacist within the VA by day and I personally witness the nutritional challenges faced by older veterans. It was so encouraging to find an event that raises awareness, encourages community support, and highlights the importance of access to nutritious meals so that no senior goes hungry,” she said.

The goal of the evening was to help get 600 seniors off the waiting list for MOWA’s meal delivery program. This year, TASTE raised more than $150,000, a record for the event. MOWA plans to raise the remaining $3 million needed to clear 600 seniors from their waiting list by the end of this year through fundraisers like the A Meal To Remember Gala.

MOWA leaders emphasize that anyone can volunteer to deliver meals, donate pantry items or donate money. And when it comes to donations, $7 feeds a senior in Atlanta, $14 covers the two daily meals delivered to them. Any amount helps, especially for people who can’t afford to give much.

“Go online, donate $20, $25. What we like, especially for younger donors, is to make a monthly commitment,” Crusoe-Ingram said. “Having this maintenance amount taken out of their pay each month. It adds up, it matters and we appreciate it.”

MOWA’s next fundraising event is the Meals On Wheels Atlanta Golf Classic scheduled for Tuesday, September 17, 2024.