By Mike Finney

DOVER — The Modern Maturity Center has been able to keep its popular Meals on Wheels program in motion, despite a challenging two years of pandemic-related unknowns.

That’s why Carolyn Fredricks, MMC’s president and CEO, was so pleased to invite state legislators and community leaders to the facility Thursday to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Older Americans Act Nutrition Program.

The annual March for Meals celebration commemorates the historic day in March 1972, when President Richard Nixon signed into law a measure that amended the Older Americans Act of 1965 to include a national nutrition initiative for those 60 and older, including Meals on Wheels.

“Fifty years for the Meals on Wheels program is awesome because it is, I feel, the best program that the government has ever funded for older adults,” Ms. Fredricks said. “The past two years have been rough, but we’ve come through everything now, and we’re celebrating today.

“This is (Meals on Wheels’) Community Champions Week, so we’ve invited legislators and leaders in the community to come out because the best way for them to really know about the program is to pack the meals and deliver the meals — so they can see it firsthand.”

She also noted that lawmakers control the purse strings for much of the money the nonprofit receives.

State Rep. Bill Carson, Dover Mayor Robin Christiansen and Dover City Councilman Bill Hare were among those who got to see what Meals on Wheels volunteers do nearly every day — cook and pack loads and loads of food into bags, put them into vehicles and drive them to the older homebound population all around Kent County.

Thursday’s menu included baked salmon with dill, butter sauce, wild rice, broccoli and wheat bread, plus milk and an oatmeal cookie.

“I’m a big supporter of Meals on Wheels,” said Rep. Carson. “I’m on the board of directors for two senior centers, and I am a former member of the board of directors (at MMC).

“It’s just a fantastic program, and I look forward to having it work very well, as always. The number of volunteers it takes to do this is just overwhelming, really. You really appreciate everyone that comes to do this. It helps show that there’s still a lot of kindness in the world.”

MMC’s volunteers combine to serve more than 300,000 meals a year to older adults in the county.

And at the pandemic’s peak, they were cooking 2,500 meals per day and performing 3,000 wellness checks each month.

“This is the 50th anniversary of Meals on Wheels, and it’s a great idea,” Mayor Christiansen said. “It connects people who can’t come to the Modern Maturity Center with a meal and somebody checking to make sure that they’re OK.

“It’s a great program, and any attempt to underfund this — the city doesn’t fund this — but any attempt to underfund this, I, as a taxpayer, will scream loud and long to make sure that these folks get funded, and the program continues.”

Councilman Hare said the service is the right recipe for the area’s homebound.

“I think it’s excellent. I think it’s wonderful,” he said. “There’s so many people that this benefits and anything that can be done to help it works for me. I just feel glad for those people who are able to get (the food) and the support.”

Melissa Smith, director of the Division of Services for Aging and Adults With Physical Disabilities, was also on hand Thursday.

“I’m so thrilled to be here and celebrate with the Modern Maturity Center, which has been a part of the Meals on Wheels program from the beginning,” she said. “As one of the funding and supporting agencies for the Meals on Wheels program under the Older Americans Act, we are thrilled to partner with Carolyn and the Modern Maturity Center in supporting seniors in Delaware.”

State legislators Rep. Lyndon Yearick, Sen. Colin Bonini, Rep. Bill Bush and Sen. Trey Paradee, as well as Dover Councilman Fred Neil, Ann Love from Meals on Wheels Delaware and Sheila Bravo from the Delaware Alliance for Nonprofit Advancement were also in attendance,

Throughout March, MMC has partnered with the national Meals on Wheels network to rally support for the public-private partnership that provides older residents in Kent County an essential service to remain healthy and independent at home.

“The Older Americans Act Nutrition Program is the only federally supported program designed to be an antidote for both senior hunger and isolation,” said Ellie Hollander, president and CEO of Meals on Wheels America. “Despite decades of proven success and bipartisan support, funding for this program has failed to keep pace with the rapidly growing need for its services.

“With the nation’s senior population increasing dramatically, now is the time to support local Meals on Wheels programs — through volunteering, donating and speaking out — to ensure we are able to deliver for another 50 years.”