Town Officials Serve Seniors Lunch, Celebrate 'March On Wheels'

MATTITUCK, NY — Seniors gathered at the Southold Human Resource Center in Mattituck Thursday had some surprise guests serving up their meat loaf, mashed potatoes and spinach lunches.

Southold Town Supervisor Scott Russell, Councilman Bill Ruland and Councilman Jim Dinizio — Dinizio delivered Meals on Wheels to homebound seniors —were onhand, donning gloves, hats and aprons to help show their support for a program that's a veritable lifeline to seniors in Southold Town.

The week of March 18 to 22 is "Community Champions Week," with local Meals on Wheels programs inviting local, state and federal officials and prominent community figures to deliver meals, speak out for seniors, and raise awareness for the importance of their work, according to Meals on Wheels America.

According to Karen McLaughlin, director of the Southold Human Resource Center, the elected officials were present to celebrate the national March on Meals week. On March 22, 1972, McLaughlin said, President Richard Nixon signed into law a measure that amended the Older Americans Act of 1965 to create the Older Americans Act Nutrition Program for seniors who are 60 and over.

"In that proud tradition, Southold Town offered one of the first nutrition programs in the State of New York," with the town's senior services program established in 1974 and celebrating 45 years this year, McLaughlin said.

(Lisa Finn)

Meals on Wheels America, whose slogan, "Delivering so much more than just a meal," offered statistics on the vital importance of the home delivery of meal to some of the nation's most at-risk individuals.

According to statistics from the organization, 59% of home-delivered meal recipients are 75 or older; 69% are women; 59% live alone; 35% live at the poverty level; 46% self-report fair or poor health; 15% are veterans; 25% live in rural areas; 28% are a racial and/or ethnic minority; and 82% take three-plus medications daily.

For more than 50 years, the Older Americans Act has been the primary piece of federal legislation supporting the nutritional and social needs of at-risk seniors; the OAA funds 38% of the total cost of providing nutritional meals, safety checks and visits to 2.4 million Americans every year, statisticsindicate.

In addition, Meals on Wheels America said, "frequent in-home visits provide unique opportunities to meet nutritional needs, combat social isolation, address safety hazards, and provide holistic care."

Nine out of 10 Meals on Wheels recipients report feeling more secure. And, according to data, Meals on Wheels helps 9 out of 10 people who have fallen from falling again. All critically important at a time when there is an escalating problem nationwide of senior hunger and isolation, the organization said.

The goal, Meals on Wheels America said, is to urge Congress to fund, protect, and reauthorize the Older Americans Act.

(Lisa Finn)

As the seniors gathered in the inviting room, sharing laughter and stories as they tucked into their home-cooked lunch, Holly Rhodes-Teague, director of the Suffolk County Office for the Aging, discussed how funds for seniors are distributed, from the federal level, to area agencies on aging, contracting out to local providers of service.

(Lisa Finn)

"Here in Suffolk County we are a little different from most places because we have great partnerships with the 10 towns and Southold Town is one of our best partners," she said. "I'm very happy to be partnering with Karen all these years. You have the support of your town supervisor and town council, and on the county level, of the county executive and legislature. Because of that, we get a great bang for our buck in terms of the services provided. I just want to thank the Town of Southold — you guys have one of the best program. It's warm. It’s homey. Everyone loves it."

(Lisa Finn)

Russell said he was happy to participate and serve lunch to the seniors. "The Human Resource Center Karen runs is the crown jewel of town government," he said. "The support and programs to serve the most vulnerable population and their families and also to provide a social setting for all seniors are invaluable. I go from time to time to visit seniors and serving them today let me see firsthand the gratitude they have for the programs. Today was just a small celebration of the work Karen and all of the staff there provide."

(Lisa Finn)

At his recent State of the Town address, Russell pointed to all that the Human Resource Center provides. The Southold Town Human Services department is responsible for promoting, coordinating and administering county, state, federal and local programs and services primarily for Southold Town residents aged 60 and older.

"Our mission to assist seniors to be as independent as possible and remain at home and in their community is accomplished through advocacy, development and delivery of cost effective programs and services," also collaborating with agencies and programs in Suffolk County, the department's mission statement said.

In 2018, Russell said, 24,180 meals were home-delivered, 10,287 meals were served through the congregate nutrition program. Since the program was founded — the Southold Senior Services program celebrates 45 years in 2019 — a partnership with the New York State and Suffolk County Offices for the aging has allowed the town to provide more than 2 million meals to eligible Southold seniors.

(Lisa Finn)

Ruland said he's always wanted to be involved with Meals on Wheels and serving seniors.

And for Dinizio, the day took on special significance as, when he was delivering Meals on Wheels, he delivered one to his own mother, Marie Dinizio, who lives in Greenport.

(Courtesy Jim Dinizio)

Russell was also onhand at the Human Resource Center recently to announce the kickoff of a new townwide fire safety program for seniors, including free smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.

Seniors who would like additional information on available Southold programs are asked to call 631-298-4460

(Lisa Finn)