Altmann's call for additional funding for Meals on Wheels Program is answered

$100,000 amendment will help eradicate waiting list for senior meal program

When Nassau County Legislator Lisanne Altmann (D-Great Neck) learned that there was a lengthy waiting list for senior citizens to receive the Meals on Wheels program, she announced that she would not approve the 2008 budget that did not include funding to address this problem. Altmann said today that she is pleased to announce that Majority members will be proposing an amendment to the 2008 budget that will include an additional $100,000 in funding for the community-based organizations that implement these meals programs.

“Everyone deserves a hot, nutritious meal, and I am proud that the administration and this legislature took the need to increase funding for the Meals on Wheels program seriously,” Altmann said. “Many of our senior citizens are on fixed incomes or are unable to shop for themselves, so this is a wonderful way to make their lives a little bit easier. No one should have to be on a waiting list for a hot meal.”

“In addition to the meals provided,” Altmann continued, “Meals on Wheels workers can check in regularly on senior citizens and ensure their safety. Programs like this allow people to stay in their own homes, which is a cheaper alternative than moving into assisted living. This is more than just a meal.”

The Meals on Wheels program is run by various community-based organizations such as Catholic Charities and the Jewish Association for Services for the Aged. For more information on the Meals on Wheels program, visit www.mowaa.org or contact the Nassau County Department of Senior Citizen Affairs at 227-8900.