The number of American adults aged 60 years and older is growing rapidly, and so is the demand to support them with essential services.
Meals on Wheels of Southwest OH & Northern KY is embarking on a transformational, $30-million campaign to build a new home and create innovative, scalable solutions that improve the lives of our community’s seniors.
Driving Into The Future represents the next chapter of our mission to promote seniors’ independence so they may age in the comfort of their own homes with dignity.
U.S. demographics project a significant increase in the senior population. Within the next decade, there will be more older adults than younger generations for the first time in U.S. history. We are quickly approaching what experts call a crisis on aging.
America’s seniors are living longer and often with less money which negatively impacts their ability to age at home independently and with dignity—12 million seniors in the U.S. experience financial challenges, and 13 million are threatened by or experience hunger already. The Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana Regional Council predicts a 20-percent increase in our tristate senior population by 2040.
With this new facility, we will be equipped to meet seniors’ essential needs on a larger scale and improve the lives of older adults, families, caregivers and our community.
Meals on Wheels has purchased property at 3251 Highland Ave., in Columbia Township in Cincinnati. Many people know this site as the old John Nolan Ford dealership. This location is easily accessible via Cincinnati Metro bus lines and provides easy access to I-71 and I-75.
Meet just a few of the 10,000 seniors we reach with our essential services in these senior spotlights. They each have a reason for being a cherished clients of ours—and they each have a unique story to share.
Somewhere deep within the double helix of Asta Hellman’s DNA is a strand of stubborn independence. After a broken engagement when she was in her 20s, she wanted to start a new life, so she boarded a steamship, said goodbye to her native Netherlands and set sail for North America, knowing only one person on the other side of the Atlantic. Do not tell Asta Hellman she can’t do something. Read her story.
William Rankins Jr. always had a gift for seeing things a certain way. If you’ve ever been to downtown Cincinnati, you’ve probably seen his work. He was paid to get your attention after all, or inspire you in some way. He is a muralist—one of the first in Cincinnati and highly sought after during his time. For decades, he adorned urban life in Cincinnati with his paint and his vision. Until he went blind. Read his story.
Pat Crenner has outlived two of her three ex-husbands so far. Only her second husband is still around, and he used to visit Pat somewhat regularly. Apart from a granddaughter who visits when she can and a neighbor who will accompany Pat to lunch occasionally, her most loyal day-to-day companion is her cat, Bootsy. “I think God put me on Earth to take care of the animals around here,” Pat said. Read her story.
It’s hard to count the number of lives Clifford Wilbon has touched. For 20 years he taught band or music within the Cincinnati Public Schools system. On the weekends, he was part of the music team at New Prospect Baptist Church, saving souls with the sounds of his trumpet. Helping others was always the key to the song of his life, whether it was through his teaching skills or playing ability, and he made sure he shared it with everyone he could. Read his story.
Laurel's creativity extends beyond the tangible—she has even dabbled in digital art, creating NFTs. When asked how she got into that, she casually said, "I taught myself. I love learning. I once heard a quote that says, ‘Once you stop learning, you’re dead.’ And I live by that." It’s clear she means it. During our chat, a few times I used a word she wasn’t familiar with, and she would pause, ask for its meaning, and then look it up on her phone. Her curiosity is infectious. Read her story.
Cindy first joined our Health & Wellness community in 2019 as a member of 55 North. Newly retired and searching for a new “go-to” place, she was initially hesitant about joining a seniors' group. However, she soon realized it was time to embrace this new chapter of her life. She got to know the other members and found them to be “wonderful people.” She reflected, “It was my first group like that in retirement, of older people, and I found it to be a good component to my life.” Read her story.
Your gift to this transformational campaign makes a significant impact on our ability to serve seniors and promote their independence with essential services. Thank you.
To learn more about how you can support the campaign and the Meals on Wheels mission, contact Chief Advancement Officer Mike Hogan at 513-244-0672 or mhogan@muchmorethanameal.org.
Media Contact: Natalie C. Koking, Director of Marketing & Communications, 513-244-5481 or nkoking@muchmorethanameal.org
