Ottawa County Senior Resources announced it will be participating in the 17th annual “March for Meals”, a month-long nationwide celebration of the Meal on Wheels program and our senior neighbors who rely on the vital service to remain health and independent at home.

Ottawa County Senior Resources’ celebration will include various activities throughout the month of March, including its Volunteer Training Day on March 1, which will kick off our Community Champions Month in Ottawa County.

”The services we provide are a lifeline for seniors of Ottawa County  and the need is rapidly increasing,” said Dianne Martin Mortensen, Director of Ottawa County Senior Resources. “Together, we can keep our senior neighbors well-nourished, feeling safer and more connected to our community as they age.”

The annual March for Meals celebration commemorates the historic day in March of 1972 when President Richard Nixon signed into law a measure that amended the Older Americans Act of 1965 to include a national nutrition program for seniors 60 years and older. Since 2002, community-based Meals on Wheels programs from across the country have joined forces for the annual awareness campaign to celebrate this successful public-private partnership and garner the support needed to fill the gap between the seniors served and those still in need.

“The month of March is a fitting time to not only celebrate the successful history of Meals on Wheels, but also bring us together to support a solution that will strengthen communities into the future,” said Ellie Hollander, President and CEO of Meals on Wheels America. “With 12,000 Americans turning 60 each day, now is the time to invest in these vital programs so that we can provide every senior in need with the nutritious meals, friendly visits and safety checks that will enable them to live healthier and independent in their own homes.”

For more information on how everyone can volunteer, contribute or speak out for the seniors in Ottawa County this March, visit the Ottawa County website at www.co.ottawa.oh.us  and click on the “Senior Resources” button.