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Vermont Edition

How Vermont’s Meals on Wheels programs meet perpetually high need

By Connor Cyrus,
Matthew F Smith
Published March 15, 2023 at 5:46 PM EDT
bright colorful meals with carrots, peas, vegetables and grilled meats are packaged in individual containers for a Meals on Wheels program
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Meals on Wheels programs saw demand jump by roughly 30 percent during the pandemic. This hour, we'll hear how meal organizers and volunteers are keeping up with elevated demand.

Meals on Wheels brings prepared food to Vermonters 60 or older who have trouble getting around or preparing their own meals. Demand jumped roughly 30 percent during the pandemic, and for many areas organizing the meal delivery program, demand hasn't gone down. This hour, we'll hear from Meals on Wheels volunteers and leaders about the challenge of meeting the increased need.

Our guests are:

  • Ruth Wallman a longtime Meals on Wheels volunteer with AgeWell
  • Chris Moldovan, director of nutrition and wellness and a registered dietitian with AgeWell, serving Addison, Chittenden, Franklin and Grand Ilse Counties
  • Meg Burmeister, executive director at the Northeast Kingdom Council on Aging, which offers congregate meals and home delivered meals

Looking for the Meals on Wheels program in your area? Here are some resources to help:

Broadcast live on Thursday, March 16, 2023, at noon; rebroadcast at 7 p.m.

Have questions, comments or tips? Send us a message or check us out on Instagram.

Editor's note: The Northeast Kingdom Council on Aging is a Vermont Public underwriter.

Tags
Vermont Edition Food & AgricultureMeals on WheelsVermont Edition
Connor Cyrus
Connor Cyrus joined Vermont Public as host and senior producer in March 2021. He was a morning reporter at WJAR in Providence, Rhode Island. A graduate of Lyndon State College (now Northern Vermont University), he started his reporting career as an intern at WPTZ, later working for WAGM in Presque Isle, Maine, and WCAX Channel 3, where he covered a broad range of stories from Vermont’s dairy industry to the nurses’ strikes at UVM Medical Center. He’s passionate about journalism’s ability to shed light on complex or difficult topics, as well as giving voice to underrepresented communities.
See stories by Connor Cyrus
Matthew F Smith
Originally from Delaware, Matt moved to Alaska in 2010 for his first job in radio. He spent five years working as a radio and television reporter, radio producer, talk show host, and news director. His reporting received awards from the Alaska Press Club and the Alaska Broadcasters Association. Relocating to southwest Florida, he was a producer for television news and NPR member station WGCU for their daily radio show, Gulf Coast Live. He joined Vermont Public in October 2017 as producer of Vermont Edition.
See stories by Matthew F Smith