SENIORS IN AMERICA
/Seniors in America
The number of seniors facing the threat of isolation and hunger is devastatingly high and quite hard to comprehend. Nearly one in six seniors in America – a total of 9.3 million – may not know when they will have their next meal or where it will come from. Whether their lack of mobility keeps them from driving to the grocery store or standing over a stove to prepare a meal – or if they lack the funds to keep up with the quickly increasing cost of food – the issue has sadly become a national epidemic.
To compound the situation, the number of seniors in America is predicted to double by the year 2050. Without significant intervention, that means that over 18 million seniors will be hungry in this country.
A Crisis Behind Closed Doors
While Meals on Wheels programs are successfully reaching 2.5 million isolated and hungry seniors today, another 6.8 million are in need. They live in our neighborhoods, often out of sight, restricted to their homes and behind closed blinds. And, they need our help.