Local STOP Senior Hunger campaign benefits Lubbock Meals on Wheels
Comfort Keepers of Lubbock is proud to promote a nationwide Comfort Keepers’ charitable initiative entitled STOP Senior Hunger which locally benefits Lubbock Meals on Wheels. During September, Hunger Action Month, Comfort Keepers® of Lubbock is asking churches, businesses and individuals in our community to donate specific food items for Lubbock Meals on Wheels’ weekend meal bag deliveries. Each weekend bag delivered contains 2 frozen meals and 8 of the items in this shopping list: instant oatmeal, instant Cream of Wheat, individual cereal boxes, cereal bars, granola bars, juice boxes, soup, tuna, vienna sausage, individual fruit cups, pudding cups, cheese crackers, peanut butter crackers, individual mac & cheese and individual Chef Boyardee meals.
The Lubbock STOP Senior Hunger committee’s goals this September are to 1) raise awareness about the growing epidemic of malnutrition that impacts millions of older Americans 2) fill 300 Lubbock Meals on Wheels (LMOW) weekend meals bags and 3) provide senior nutrition information to approximately 700 LMOW recipients throughout September (thanks to sponsorship from University Medical Center.) This senior nutrition campaign provides diet and nutrition information to help seniors improve their health and preserve their independence.
The STOP Senior Hunger charitable initiative springs from the Interactive Caregiving philosophy of care that gives Comfort Keepers clients a more healthy and meaningful quality of life. “Hunger Action Month is in September, but seniors go hungry all year,” said Lisa Carson, RN, owner of the Lubbock Comfort Keepers franchise. “We cannot fight every factor affecting hunger, but we can start here in our community by creating awareness about the issue and helping family members become more aware of the signs of hunger and malnutrition.”
Hunger can lead to malnutrition and other serious health problems in seniors. In fact, it is estimated that as many as 85% of seniors in the care of others are at risk for malnutrition or undernutrition. Malnutrition is the result of the body not absorbing enough nutrients due to inaccessibility. Signs of malnutrition may include sudden weight gain or loss, bruising, or dental difficulties, sudden changes in taste, or a general disinterest in eating. For seniors, malnutrition means the potential for increased hospital stays, increased health complications, early entry into assisted living facilities and premature death.
To get involved with the local efforts benefitting Lubbock Meals on Wheels recipients, contact Kelley Pitts at (806) 687-7800 or Lubbock@comfortkeepers.com.
To learn more about the issues of hunger and nutrition facing seniors, visit the Comfort Keepers blog. Click here >