Union County officials joined SAGE Eldercare as it participated in the 15th annual March for Meals – a month-long, nationwide celebration of Meal on Wheels and the homebound and vulnerable seniors who rely on its vital safety net.
Participants included city mayors and council members, as well as Senator Tom Kean, Jr., Assemblywoman Nancy Munoz, Union County Freeholder BJ Kowalski, and the Police Chiefs of Union County.
SAGE’s Meals on Wheels is the oldest continuously run program in New Jersey, celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2016. The program provides more than 46,000 meals to about 225 people in Union County (Berkeley Heights, Mountainside, New Providence, Springfield, and Summit), Essex County (Millburn and Short Hills), and Morris County (Chatham and Madison).
“The services that we provide the seniors in our area are critical; it’s not just a warm meal, but also a friendly visit, sometimes the only human contact a senior gets the whole day,” said Marianne Kranz, SAGE Director of Meals on Wheels and Home Support Services. “Together, we can keep seniors living independently, healthier at home and feeling more connected to their community as they age.”
For more information about the Meals on Wheels program at SAGE, or if you know someone who could benefit from the service, contact Marianne Kranz at: 908-273-5554 or email: mkranz@sageeldercare.temp312.kinsta.cloud.
About SAGE
Since 1954, SAGE Eldercare has been helping make the communities it serves amazing places to age. The organization provides a wide array of information, support, and services designed to help individuals lead the most independent and active lives possible. From helping with errands and providing Meals on Wheels, to exercise classes, community programs, care planning, an adult day health care center, and home health care, SAGE’s expertise helps older adults remain independent in their own homes. SAGE is committed to being the leading provider of programs and services to meet the changing needs of older adults, their families, and caregivers throughout Union, Essex, Morris, and Somerset Counties. For more information, please call 908.273.5550 or visit www.sageeldercare.org.
About Meals on Wheels America
Meals on Wheels America is the oldest and largest national organization supporting the more than 5,000 community-based senior nutrition programs across the country that are dedicated to addressing senior hunger and isolation. This network exists in virtually every community in America and, along with more than two million volunteers, delivers the nutritious meals, friendly visits and safety checks that enable America’s seniors to live nourished lives with independence and dignity. By providing funding, leadership, research, education and advocacy support, Meals on Wheels America empowers its local member programs to strengthen their communities, one senior at a time. For more information, or to find a Meals on Wheels provider near you, visit www.mealsonwheelsamerica.org.
PHOTOS:
-Union County Police officials helped deliver Meals on Wheels at SAGE El
dercare as part of the 2017 March for Meals campaign. Pictured (left to right) are: Mountainside Lieutenant Tom Murphy, Springfield Chief John Cook, Summit Chief Robert Weck, Berkeley Heights Chief John DiPasquale, New Providence Chief Anthony Buccelli, and Mountainside Chief Allan Attanasio.
-Union County Freeholder BJ Kowalski joined volunteer Lorelei Burns, of Summit, as part of the March for Meals program at SAGE Eldercare.
-New Jersey Senator Tom Kean Jr and volunteer Jennifer Szot, of Chatham, delivered meals as part of SAGE Eldercare’s participation in March for Meals.
-New Jersey Assemblywoman Nancy Munoz and Christine Galiardo, of Summit, delivered Meals on Wheels as part of the March for Meals campaign at SAGE Eldercare.