Walmart Foundation Grant to Meals On Wheels Association of America to Help Feed Hungry Seniors at HESSCO Elder Services

Grant received at critical time as economy threatens seniors in South Norfolk County.

HESSCO Elder Services has been awarded $8,766.00 through a Walmart Foundation grant to the Meals On Wheels Association of America (MOWAA).  The money will provide HESSCO with much-needed cooler bags and cambros, which are critical to continue serving seniors in our neighborhoods.

This financial support is desperately needed as many Meals On Wheels programs across the country are struggling to survive during this economic downturn. The “Walmart Foundation Impact Grant” is intended to help HESSCO continue to meet the long term equipment needs of providing meals to our seniors in South Norfolk County.

Last year, many Meals On Wheels programs were forced to change or reduce their services, but the Walmart Foundation stepped in to help restore those meals. This year, the Walmart Foundation is spending more than $2 million nationwide to make sure Meals On Wheels programs have the equipment they need to maintain their operations into the future.

“Seniors have been hit especially hard in this economy and we feel a responsibility to help,” said Margaret McKenna, president of the Walmart Foundation. “We’re proud to support Meals on Wheels programs across the U.S. who work on the front lines of ending senior hunger.”

“Thanks to the Walmart Foundation Impact Grant, we now have better tools to keep feeding seniors for years to come,” said Mary Jean McDermott, Executive Director of HESSCO Elder Services. ”This grant will help us provide the next meal to many of our clients in need and will truly make a difference for the seniors of South Norfolk County.”

“The Walmart Foundation has once again stepped up to the plate as a powerful partner in the fight to end senior hunger,” said Enid Borden, president and CEO of MOWAA. “They are our largest corporate partner to date and their support will make a tremendous impact in helping our programs sustain meal services well into the future. We can’t thank the Walmart Foundation enough for joining us in our national movement to end senior hunger in America by 2020.”

Late last year MOWAA released a groundbreaking study revealing six million seniors in America face the risk of hunger. The report, entitled, “Senior Hunger in the United States: Differences across States and Rural and Urban Areas” was sponsored by MOWAA and shows that the number of seniors facing the hunger risk jumped an astonishing 20 percent in just one year. The Walmart Impact Grant Program is intended to help combat the problem of senior hunger.

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HESSCO Elder Services is dedicated to finding solutions to help those sixty and older take full advantage of their later years. The agency’s goal is to make it easier for older individuals and their families to access a comprehensive system of health and supportive services. HESSCO’s service area includes: Canton, Dedham, Foxborough, Medfield, Millis, Norfolk, Norwood,