The National Commission on Hunger, with input from Meals on Wheels America representatives, released their report to Congress and the Administration on January 4, 2016: The report includes 20 recommendations with two specifically pertaining to clients served by Meals on Wheels programs.
The national Meals on Wheels network continues to face limited funding, rising costs, unprecedented demand and need and increasing for-profit competition. Meals on Wheels America set out to compare the experience and health outcomes realized by older adults who receive meals services vs. those on waiting lists. Funded by AARP Foundation and conducted by researchers at Brown University, the study implemented a groundbreaking approach to investigating the impact of meal service delivery on homebound seniors receiving Meals on Wheels. Findings validate what we’ve all known for decades anecdotally through firsthand experience: Meals on Wheels does in fact deliver so much more than just a meal.