Meet Mary, an Indian River County senior who lives alone. Her only son is in the military with limited opportunities to visit, so in January on his last annual leave, he was concerned about finding his mother thin and frail. He immediately signed Mary up for Meals on Wheels home delivery and, thanks to generous funding from Impact 100 Indian River, Senior Resource Association (SRA) began feeding her immediately. Prior to Impact 100’s support, Mary would have been relegated to a wait list for government-funded meals. Her son is reassured to know that SRA’s volunteers visit his mom every weekday bringing a hot lunch and keeping an eye on her health. Mary, too, is extremely grateful and full of praise for her volunteer visitors.

Most of us take for granted simple things like fixing our own hot meals at home. We may not consider the lack of energy and stamina Mary and other aging neighbors face daily. We likely never really think about seniors who live alone. What do they do when they are too ill to go to the grocery store? How do they manage when they cannot stand long enough to fix dinner? How do they reach cooking utensils, plates, and glasses from their wheelchairs or while balancing on a walker?

Many seniors who now rely on SRA’s Meals on Wheels’ lifeline, have faced struggles like these every day. Last fiscal year, SRA served 827 older neighbors in need who would have remained hungry and isolated without nutritious lunches delivered to their doors with accompanying wellness checks. Through September 2024, Impact 100 has provided an amazing 10,674 meals and will ensure delivery of another 4,300+ meals to desperate seniors before the current grant concludes.

When Impact 100 first invested in SRA’s home-delivered meals, an average of 200 local seniors a day languished on the waiting list for government-funded meals. There simply is not enough federal or state funding to feed all who are hungry. Impact 100’s compassion allowed SRA to begin delivering Meals on Wheels to seniors from that growing wait list. By leveraging Impact 100’s leadership commitment to this growing issue, SRA engaged other funders to join in fighting the hunger crisis among our community’s elderly to tackle the wait list which ballooned to 360 last year.

SRA continues to enroll and embrace an average of 10 seniors who register for the government wait list every month. Without weekday visits by SRA’s caring volunteers — who bring hot lunches, donated extras, and warm smiles — many of these lonely, older IRC residents would not see or speak with anyone. Additionally, SRA’s volunteers are trained to observe any concerning changes in seniors’ health or home situation and record issues they believe need attention. Office staff then follow up on volunteers’ notes to see how SRA’s other senior services might help with their evolving needs.

In a continuation of Mary’s story, her volunteers shared details that prompted SRA’s team to enroll her in Emergency Alert Response. Also possible through community support, this 24/7 electronic monitoring service keeps seniors like Mary, who are at risk of falls or other health crises, connected to help if needed.

Another senior grateful for Meals on Wheels is Marian who began receiving home-delivered meals in June. Marian was surprised to find the food so enjoyable and appreciates the volunteers who visit her every day. Like Mary, her heartfelt hugs tell the story of how much Impact 100’s support means to hungry seniors living alone.

SRA adds our sincere thanks for Impact 100’s confidence in our work and compassion for our seniors.