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Vol. 25, No. 9
December cember 2021
Cliff Rice
Elder Law Attorney
Northwest Edition R Reaching Seniors In Illiana: Cook, Lake & Porter Counties
Light the Night raises funds, awareness for
Meals on Wheels %\ &$55,( 67(,1:(* )HDWXUH :ULWHU Now in its 15th year, “Light the Night for Senior Hunger” is a fundraising initiative that helps provide financial support for Meals on Wheels of Northwest Indiana. It also provides a beautiful holiday display visited by many families during the holiday season. “It’s an opportunity for our community to have a visual reminder of how we all come together,” said Rachel Hurst, director of development for Meals on Wheels Northwest Indiana. The campaign kicked off with a lighting ceremony and socially-distant holiday party Nov. 30. Through the program, financial gifts can be made during holiday season to help the non-profit organization fulfill its mission. “Every gift of $30 or more lights a star on the Trees of Hope, which will glow from dusk until dawn from until
Dec. 31,” said Hurst. “It’s a great photo opportunity as well.” The goal is to raise $100,000 to help deliver 58,000 meals to seniors throughout the region. “The holidays are a time when people are thinking about warmth, about family, about kindness and joy. For many of our clients, these are things they may be missing during the holidays. Meals on Wheels is a lifeline for those we serve because we deliver so much more than a meal — a warm smile, friendly visit and sense of connection we deliver with each meal makes all the difference,” said Hurst. Because there is often a gap between what clients can afford to contribute and what the true cost of the meals is, fundraising efforts fill the gap. “That gap has grown during the pandemic as the cost of food rose more than 40%, so the support of our
3877,1* 83 75((6 ³ ´/LJKW WKH 1LJKW IRU 6HQLRU +XQJHUµ LV D KROLGD\ GLVSOD\ YLVLWHG E\ PDQ\ IDPLOLHV GXULQJ WKH KROLGD\ VHDVRQ 3LFWXUHG DUH 5XG\ 0R\DGR DQG %RE 6WDJH WZR YROXQWHHUV ZKR KHOSHG SXW XS WKH WUHHV 3KRWRV SURYLGHG E\ 0HDOV RQ :KHHOV neighbors and community members is more important than ever,” said Hurst. Meal deliveries are not just a convenience for many clients, but their only lifeline to the outside world. “Living alone is challenging for many older adults and a problem that is growing as the population ages,” said Hurst. She noted statistics from Meals on Wheels America and the 2020 National Social Isolation Summit revealed besides the increase in a need for nourishment, the pandemic has left one in three seniors even more isolated and lonelier than before. Loneliness and social isolation increases the risk of earlier death by 32%. It contributes to increased risk of cardiovascular disease,
6(1,25 +81*(5 ³ ´/LJKW WKH 1LJKW IRU 6HQLRU +XQJHUµ LV D IXQGUDLVHU IRU 0HDOV RQ :KHHOV RI 1RUWKZHVW ,QGLDQD type II diabetes, immune and respiratory illnesses, cognitive decline, dementia, Alzheimer’s, depression, suicide and addiction, Hurst
explained. “It is also associated with an extra $6.7 billion in Medicare spending annualContinued on page 5
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