Since 1973, the Flathead County Agency on Aging (AOA) has been dedicated to providing essential nutrition services to seniors aged 60 and over. Our signature program, Meals on Wheels, delivers hot meals to homebound seniors five days a week. Additionally, we offer lunchtime meals for social dining at senior and community centers throughout Flathead County, including Whitefish, Columbia Falls, Bigfork, and Lakeside, as well as at our AOA Dining Room in Kalispell. In the past fiscal year alone, we proudly served nearly 119,126 meals!
However, our program, especially Meals on Wheels, is now facing daunting financial challenges. The alarming rise in food and employment costs threaten our ability to maintain current service levels. Since early 2020, our monthly meals have increased from 6,500 to 9,900.
The AOA is seeking community support to ensure the Meals on Wheels program continues to thrive. To meet federal nutrition guidelines, each meal must include 4 oz. of protein, and this is where the community can make a difference! An exciting opportunity to get involved is by donating steers and hogs from the 4-H and FFA Market Livestock Sale in August.
This is an opportunity for the community to create an intergenerational connection of support between Flathead County 4-H youth, businesses and individuals, and all the seniors AOA nourishes!
Donating a steer or hog can make a substantial impact. Ground meat from one steer can provide approximately 1,500 meals, and from one hog, about 1,000 meals. Our goal is to stock our freezers by the end of summer, aiming for around 2,000 pounds of meat, equivalent to 10 steers and 10 hogs.
To express our gratitude, we will host a celebration lunch for any business or individual who donates, along with the 4-H youth who raised the animals. Join us in this meaningful effort to ensure our Meals on Wheels program continues to thrive and support our senior community!