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U.S. Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion
The government issued a consumer brochure spelling out what the new guidelines mean. Click the cover for a full pdf version.
Federal guidelines meant to help Americans eat healthier foods are straining Meals on Wheels and other nonprofits already laboring to make sure the elderly get enough to eat at all.
Lanakila Meals on Wheels in Honolulu, Hawaii, already has a waiting list of 90 people, most of them elderly, who have asked for food the organization can't afford to provide.
The program can always use more volunteers, but what it really needs now is money.
"We're looking for $120,000 just to maintain our existing programs and another $170,000 to meet the needs of the 90 people who are on our wait list," Lyn Moku, the program's director, told NBC station KHNL of Honolulu.
"It's a real time of uncertainty," Moku said, because "everyone is having a hard time just with the way the economy is and unemployment."
Some Meals on Wheels programs in the U.S. support themselves solely through donations and fundraisers, but many — like Lanakila Meals on Wheels — also rely on government funding. The Hawaii program says it gets about 60 percent of its funding from government sources.
That government funding is also in question, for Lanakila Meals on Wheels and many other local chapters of the national nonprofit.
The Health Trust, a charitable foundation in Campbell, Calif., reported that it has lost more $100,000 for its Meals on Wheels program. Most of that loss has come from government sources, and small corporate sponsorships haven't made up the difference.
"It's tough. Times are very, very tough," said Enid A. Borden, president and chief executive of the Meals on Wheels Association of America.
Last week, Meals on Wheels volunteers abandoned the traditional delivery of hot Thanksgiving meals to homes across Silicon Valley in Northern California. Instead, needy individuals — most of them elderly — received a frozen meal two days in advance that they had to thaw and heat themselves, NBC station KTVU of San Francisco/Oakland reported.
Cut the salt; crunch the veggies
It's not just the economy that's squeezing government outlays for community programs in general. Some are also being restricted by new federal nutrition guidelines that set standards for assistance programs.
That means that when government agencies sit down to hand out community service grants, they have to consider the new guidelines when it comes to food programs like school lunches and Meals on Wheels.
The guidelines drew a lot of attention for calling for a drastic reduction in salt consumption, especially among those 51 and older. But they also significantly changed the recommended ratio of proteins to fresh fruits and vegetables — putting much more emphasis on the latter.
• Dietary Guidelines for Americans (.pdf)
That requires new menus, new storage facilities to keep all that produce fresh and new ways to cook and deliver meals.
Meeting the new requirements could be cost-prohibitive for Meals on Wheels in Bailey County, Texas, which could lose its funding from the regional association of governments, NBC station KCBD of Lubbock reported.
Meals on Wheels for Lubbock itself isn't affected, said Lisa Gilliland, the program's assistant director, because it relies solely on donations and fundraisers. But in Bailey County, northwest of the city, and in many other areas across the country, funding could be at risk because "most of the smaller programs are government funded," she said.
Borden told msnbc.com she is confident that Meals on Wheels will figure out a way to keep handing out the 1.7 million meals it delivers every day.
"There are always things that are going to happen," she acknowledged. "We are always impacted when the price of anything goes up."
But "one of the things I know is that our program will do whatever it needs to do to feed those seniors who are hungry," she said.
"We are a resilient organization."
Alex Johnson is a news and technology reporter for msnbc.com. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook.
Leave a Comment:
Why are we sending any foreign aid out if there are hungry people in America?
Good question--and why are the do-nothings in Washington allowed to grow ever fatter and richer on the backs of the elderly, disabled, and poor?
They don't grow richer all the time off the elderly, disabled and poor. The crap they served to my mother-in-law was not edible. She threw it out most of the time and was paying for it anyway so she stopped the service. How is this helping people? The food wasn't very healthy on top of that!
meals on wheels is free. Your mother-in-law was paying for it? I don't think so.
Some people do pay for the meals on wheels. My in-laws paid $5 a meal for some pretty poor quality meals.
Meals on Wheels is not always free. I paid a small monthly fee to have Meals on Wheels take food to my mother. The food was good and it helped her keep living on her own for a while longer. This is a nation wide program that isn't a government program although some may get government funding. Caring people volunteer to deliver the food and for many it's a life saver.
Just think, there are now estimates that one in four children is living in poverty. Now we have meals-on-wheels going bust. What have we come to as a society? The government is paying 450 billion to 1.2 trillion in foreign aid, the banks that were bailed out give their CEO's millions in bonuses and the homeless shelters are full.
This is beginning to read like something out of the "Grapes of Wrath" except that there are farmers looking for workers to pick the food and seems not too many are willing to do the work. Of course there is the tiny problem of getting to where the work is, paying for the gas if you have a car. I hear folks complain about the school lunch programs, and back in the day I had kids who ate the school 'breakfast' which consisted of margarine on white bread covered with sugar and cinnamon and a small carton of milk.
Seems there needs to be some reassessing of our societal way of thinking. People need work and putting them in situations where they can get the work might just be a good idea. Those who are truly in need should get the help, those who scam the system should be tossed out on their ear. The elderly should have food and decent shelter, their families should be there for them and if they have no family then there should be programs and places where they can be provided for. No money for the programs? Bullsh*t! If there is enough money to toss tomahawk missiles around then there is enough money to cover the elderly and the homeless children. Like I said, our priorities are skewed.
I would hope you then began taking meals to your mother since she found the Meals on Wheels not acceptable. Not everyone has family to step in and the Meals on Wheels is the best meal they get each day.
Sorry to hear that the food was no good. My father volunteered for the Meals on Wheels for years before he passed. He was always talking about the good quality of the food and how the people that received it were always looking forward to the meals. Let us hope your experience is confined to a small group.
You have to pay if you are able to pay. My 92 year old mother paid $90 per month in our area. The meals are not the best but then you have to consider preparing them and delivering them so a time factor explains part of that. They also do not season much as they are attempting to serve more healthful meals. All in all they helped my mother remain independent longer and that was what she wanted most of all. Another shame that government rules are going to eliminate this program.
jean pear
Where live, they charge people $4 per meal, 2 meals a day is $8, and they are small portions. They only serve lunch and dinner, no breakfast. So a lot of these old seniors have to try and stretch their meals in that little tray they get which usually consist of some macaronis and a small piece of meat, a vegetable and a piece of fruit.
I do remember when it use to be free, but I don't think that's the case any longer. They have to pay for the gas since gas as gone up, and the cost of of has gone up substantially as well.
Meals on Wheel does charge some people $3, $4, and $5 per meal. We really need to cut back more on government pension plans and kickbacks. Government spends $16 on one muffin and that ok, but we can't feed the poor 3 meals a day.
America is just effed up and that's all there is to it.
Crooked politicians stealing from the poor to fatten up their sorry azzes is what this is all about. I suppose starving the old and poor to death is a way to fix the budget nowadays.
You liberals have no clue about reality!!!!
Reality as you define it, or the reality of someone other than a "Proud Republican"? If you have any answers , run for public office and demonstrate what you would do.
Hmmmm ... I'm a 65-year-old that you would probably call a liberal. I just call it being a common sense sort of person, but definitions have shifted the last 20-30 years. I stayed the same. I do have some idea of reality. A very keen sense of reality. It means we take care of each other. And given that most of our presidents since about 1980 have been more interested in taking care of wealthier people, I've seen my country grow poorer, shabbier, and farther behind the rest of the world.
That's reality, my dear. And it won't go away just because you choose not to acknowledge it.
Proud Republican-1059456 - methinks you are of 'the glass half empty' (political) persuasion, rather than
'the glass half full'. What's wrong with you-- with your negative view of the world and people in general?
Your comment: "You liberals have no clue about reality!!!!" is way out in left field. You're determined to cause an argument and make this a partisan issue. Jacka#%!
Proud Republican-1059456, you are suspended for a day for violating rule # 1 of the Code of Honor.
I remember taking some things to an elderly person that received meals on wheels. The nurses that came by daily told me that he was able to get up and move around but he was too lazy. He laid there all day and used the bathroom in the bed and on the wall on purpose. They wanted him to get up so they put his meal on a table about five feet away from his bed every day. He refused to even attempt to get up. So this is a good use of our taxpayer dollars??????????????
Wow. So the obvious behavioral problems of the elderly means that they are a waste. Thanks for clearing that up, you know, especially since what you described is the behavior of an old man that OBVIOUSLY needs better medical care. You really want to know what is a waste? The fact that people like you have absolutely NO CLUE, and get to vote.
As is usually the case PR you wish to define our overall existence and social duties by your experiences with 2 people. Out of some 1.7 million. Liberals, it seems, aren't the only ones having problems with reality.
Seriously? This experience is why you believe this program is a waste of money? Seriously? I dont think you should be so proud. This man may have had serious mental issues, or dementia. Even if he is "just lazy" which I doubt, that is one person. As a social worker with over 25 yrs of experience I can tell you that for many elderly people this program is very important. It is not uncommon for the elderly to have to chose between getting a prescription filled and buying food. I have observed people make one meal last for 2 meals because they had nothing else. It is apparent you have no idea how much suffering and hunger there is in this country. But you stay proud of those high republican morals and family values.
Seriously pathetic attempt to denigrate a necessary organization and the people it helps. Fortunately, said organization will be around to help when you lose everything because of the economy imploding.
I don't see what any of this has to do with being a liberal and as a Republican I'm embarrassed to be associated with Proud Republican by party affiliation. He obviously has some issues. Distributing our tax money all over the world to build up countries whose people hate us is poor use of tax dollars. Providing a little support for Meals on Wheels is money well spent.
It is amazing how many scoundrels, cheats, liars, lazy people, etc., you have met in your life. I don't meet nearly so many as that. Where do you live? Perhaps your community needs some lessons that other neighborhoods don't need?????
littleoldlady3 - ProudRepublican..... says it all. He hangs out with Republicans. To be fair I would say that he hangs out with republican extremists.
proud republican I am ashamed to let people know I am a republican Believe me we have nothing to feel proud about
Carl, I also was ashamed to let people know that I was a Republican (a life-long one at that). After the election of Bush II and the wholesale destruction of the budget surplus and it's consequential destroying of the economy I solved that problem. I abandoned the Republican Party like it had abandoned the 99% of the American people. I regret that it me so long to realize it.
Another example of a Proud Republican generalizing from an isolated example. You need to get out more - maybe volunteer for Meals on Wheels. The New Year is coming - how about resolving not to be so bitter?
This is criminal - billions of dollars spent fighting wars that can't be won and billions of dollars being given to foreign countries for free and our own people are starving or malnourished. I don't use these programs because I can still at least afford to buy my own bologna and bread with an occasional spread of mayo, but that's about all I can afford these days. Someday I may have to resort to this handout and then I guess I'd just be better off putting a bullet in my head - it would be quicker and alot less painful.....
The food Nazis are at it again. Won't have to wait for Obamacare death panels to kill old people off.
Just starve them to death now. One size fits all. You are only allowed government approved "Peoples Food".
Unless you are a minority getting free government benefits in exchange for your votes. Then you can
use your food stamp card to go to McDonalds. Load up on Big Macs and fries.
Death panels? You mean like what EVERY PRIVATIZED MEDICAL INSURER DOES???? As far as "food nazis", I don't see that an elderly person should be given GARBAGE to eat, because its affordable, I knew an old woman that ate cat food, because it was all she could afford. I guess that's okay with you, huh? As long as she ate, who cares about what it was!
Well, I think the nutritional guidelines are all fine and dandy, but they rely on being able to afford fresh produce which isn't cheap. Also, in this instance, food is mass produced and it isn't always so simple to cook vast quantities of fresh produce and after it sits around for awhile being portioned out and delivered, it ain't so fresh after all.
Then you have the government shutting down and destroying organic food and produce, forcing people to destroy what they have produced on their own. The food police in Nevada forced a group to pour bleach on organic veggies, milk etc. recently because said food didn't have the imprimateur of the state regulating bodies. This is very reminiscent of FDR's ag programs, destroying food and livestock to keep prices high. Steinbeck made mention of this in his book, and for all the lovers of FDR, there is a large body of information out there.
If you can't afford meat, rice and beans make an excellent protein. Canned fruits and veggies are better than no fruit and veggies and white bread is not exactly wonderful but, it is better than nothing.
I have it, cut off all funding overseas and feed our people, what a novel idea.
In Rochester, MI where I used to live the senior citizen center cooked up the Meals on Wheels for quite a few towns in the area. They provided well-rounded meals every day to the seniors who were signed up with the program. On holiday weekends they provided some frozen meals. I used to deliver the meals and many of the recipients were grateful for the program.
It was a very good program in a generous community. I remember that folks who had a birthday received a special gift for that day. Every Christmas the local florists donated poinsettias.
I don't recall anyone abusing the system.
I'm sure you don't recall it because it didn't happen. I'd put money on all these posts from PR and others of the same ilk that are "anecdotal" are no such thing. How could they be when it is fairly clear that such people have not one ounce of generous soul in them? They wouldn't know Meals on Wheels from Meal worms.
It is very easy to advocate doing away with helping agencies and helping people when you do not need help and never have any contact with those who do. Heaven forbid they let reality interfere with dogma.
Just like the damn government to regulate people trying to help people.
The slackers that are our government can't even spell budget and responsibility but are great at telling everone else what they must do.
The government even pays farmers not to grow certain food to keep the prices up. As far as I know we can not have enough food because there is demand some where. The Food Bank in my area is calling for help to get peanut butter because of a shortage due to weather in two large areas that produce peanuts here causing prices to increase. Pumpkin is another sample I know has been short for a couple years now. We have kids that hate the school breaks because they will not have food to eat without the schools food and we have the unemployed that gave food to the Food Bank now standing in line for food. Its just sad.
Sending criminal amounts of money to TERRORIST countries while letting our own mostly LIFELONG TAXPAYERS starve to death.
And possibly part of the new "Health Care" program - wipe out the seniors so we can give it to the 12 million plus illegals?
Very frightening.
Say what .... health care for illegals? You know, my friend, Medicare is a government program and as a new senior, I'm very grateful for such a program. Though I feel a little guilty that I, a senior citizen, have health care accessibility that many young families do not have. Surely if we are so wealthy, so powerful, and so good, we can afford to see that we have no hungry people in our country and none needing medical care and unable to afford it.
Surely, surely ... we can do that.
Why are the good deeds of programs such as Meals on Wheels being sabotaged by people who have no authority under the Constitution to be involved? This is insane. I delivered Meals on Wheels when I was in college in the 60's and you could not have found a more deserving and appreciate bunch of folks than the meal recipients. They were in need of the nutrition, of course, but the social interaction seemed to please them almost as much.
Can't we get the damned government out of every single aspect of our lives? Especially the generous activities of private organizations who have always been a large part of the glue that holds our society together.
It seems to be the problem that government funding IS decreasing, and private sources AREN'T stepping up to fill the breach.
What exactly is it you think ought to happen to make sure this program continues helping people who need it?
littleoldlady> From a little old man I think the government should get the hell out of the way and not dictate anything involved with private charity. Meals on Wheels is one of my favorite charities. I don't want the government deciding what they can or cannot deliver to willing donees by willing donors.
Rick, you do not seem to understand what the article and littleoldlady are saying. In some areas, Meals on Wheels NEEDS the gov't funding and is asking for it. The gov't won't fund if the program does not meet the federal guide lines. The gov't isn't arbitrarily stepping into privately funded charities to tell them what they can and cannot do. They are only saying that they cannot provide funding if their guidelines are not met. If the gov't does not provide funding, and private donations are down, then Meals on Wheels can't meet the demand. This has nothing to do with too much gov't interference.
The government has no business either providing funding or guidelines. Period. That is not the function of government. When Meals on Wheels was begun it was not begun as a federal program or with federal funding. The problem is when you take money from the government they always attach "strings" and mandates. This even though they have no business being involved to begin with.
My mother before she passed away worked over 20 years with Meals on Wheels in our area. The meals were nutrious and sound. But there were always disgruntled such as wanting raw carrots while the organization had canned or frozenl. Or wanting white bread when the available option for the day was wheat. Some wanted their meals delivered at a certain time that was unavailbe for the VOLUNTEER driver to accomoday. And usually the biggest complainers were those who didn't pay the $2. But most were grateful
As usual, anything the Demoncrats and their Union Bureaucrats touch turns to doo doo,,just another prime example of trying to legislate and run our lives from Washington by a bunch of overpaid losers with way to much power......Can't wait to see how badly Obamacare will screw up our lives totally when they invade our homes....
So again, my question would be to you ... what is it you think ought to happen then? It seems that government funding decreasing and demand increasing and private sources not stepping up to the plate enough is the problem?
Where is it you think the money to keep this fine program running is supposed to come from? Are you offering to fund one of the programs personally?
I don't understand why Republicans are criticising the government for underfunding Meals on Wheels. That is what private groups and individuals are supposed to do. There is enough wealth in this country to help feed our seniors.
Cut all foreign aid, starting with Pakistan, and start taking care of our own.
Laura> This doesn't even involve government expenditures. Meals on Wheels is not government funded. The damned government is trying to get involved in private charity.
I do agree we should cut off all foreign aid. Just not for this reason.
Rick ... it does involve some government funding.
Can you not read?????
Ahhh.. more signs on how well MORE regulation makes life better in the USA..... now we aren't allowed to feed our own.......
Must be the First Lady's new and improved anti obesity program.
Our seniors and needy are "Protected" and "helped" by our government... you know... the ones regulating the lightbulbs so we can only have toxic "green" bulbs..... toilets that flush with less water (but take twice as many flushed to make "it" go away) and now telling them "eat this or ya' don't get anything."
Hope and Change......
Feed them what the gov't tells you or let them starve. Novel idea.
However, hand out money like it was monopoly money to Muslim-in-chief's baby mommas.
You are a totally complete a$$, and also $%^&%$$%%%$$.
Fix the headline! Obama policy is killing poor people!
See above.
Fact check time people! Foreign aid is only 0.2% of the yearly federal budget or about 25 billion dollars out of 2.2 trillion. We get some bang for our buck by spending those dollars too. As fragile as our relationship is with Pakistan we must support them because they have nuclear weapons. If their government collapses the talaban will be in control of those nukes. Turn your anger to wallstreet who shipped all the jobs oversees to save a buck for investors! A simple Google search will give you the same numbers. Either the previous poster is an idiot or a right wingnut trying to persuade everyone else! Germany is number 2 at 13 billion dollars. However there are several countries that give 0.7% of their budgets like Sweden. My motto has always been keep your friends close and your enemies closer! Are there people going hungry in America? Yes. Are they starving? No. I live in northern Ohio and our children's services just removed a third grader from his mother because he weighed in at 218lbs.! One third of Ohio third graders are extremely obese. They tried to work with the mother for over a year! And then our wonderful congress re-classifies pizza as a vegetable to apease the pizza lobby and make our kids even fatter! Two tablespoons of tomato sauce (47% of which is tomatoes) does not make a vegetable!
we get nothing from pakistan they got nukes we got nukes big deal Just like the occupy wall street people nothing from them either just 15 minutes of shame You people want to hurt wall street do it thru congress protest are legal there to .Not one quarter should go over seas now. We can't afford them at least till our own people have what they need. I owe other countries nothing, I owe my fellow country men.
You owe it to us to learn how to construct a sentence.
Eric makes a good point about foreign aid, unlike carl, who thinks it is OK if we just blow each other up. However, Eric, if you think there aren't any starving people in this country, you are very much mistaken. Yes, there are poor kids who are obese, and who usually come from obese parents. It is easy and cheap to feed a kid from the McDonalds $1 menu, and a lazy parent can take advantage. And honestly, there are kids who could eat the same amount as your 3rd grader, and have a normal weight (doesn't mean he is healthy - you just don't see the damage, so you assume he is healthy). But just because there are obese people out there, doesn't mean there aren't people who are starving. Just because you haven't seen it for yourself, doesn't mean it doesn't exist.
It is hard enough to buy all the food you need to get thru the month. And that is without trying to buy healthy . But, buying enough to stop the hunger pains at the end of the month. Food of any kind is a blessing when you are hungry. Take your rich-asses .... that have never gone hungry. And try living on food stamps for one month with no cheating ... you will change your minds !!!
In most of Europe and virtually all of Asia the elderly don't live alone...there are three or four generations under every roof.
It's only here that we have abandoned our elders and subjected them to starvation or minimal nourishment. When will we ever wake up?
I agree, I have brought all my family here from Mexico and we all live under one roof.
if he refused to get up, how did they know he could get up and get around? How did they make that judgement? when my father was hospitalized, a nurse complained that he didn't want to learn to how to give himself an insulin injection. He was 89 years old and had tremors in his hands so bad that he couldn't hold the injector to give himself the shot. someday you may be in that "elderly" persons' shoes and I hope someone shows you more compassion that you seem to have.
I can't tell you how much my family and I appreciate the free food and services we get. Being here illegally isn't easy. My kids, born here, need all the help they can get, free schooling, free clothes, free medical, free meals at home and school. We would be homeless if it wasn't for this great nation.
Thank you, all
America is a melting pot and invites you with open arms. Thank you for coming and if there is anything else you need, just ask.
Just another troll.
To take a back seat-
It is expensive, to properly eat.