Meals On Wheels Sees 500 Percent Surge In Volunteers Since Budget Cuts Proposed

[sheshe2]

Online donations have also skyrocketed this week.


Meals on Wheels America says it has seen a 500 percent increase in volunteer signups and 50 times more online donations than usual in the 24 hours since President Donald Trump’s administration proposed eliminating the program’s federal funding.


“It’s been heartwarming to see this groundswell of support over the last 24 to 48 hours,” Jenny Bertolette, vice president of communications for Meals on Wheels America, told The Huffington Post on Friday. “Volunteers are our backbone. We couldn’t deliver meals without [them].”


snip//

The Administration on Aging, established under the Older Americans Act in 1965 to administer grants for senior citizens programs, provides roughly 35 percent of Meals on Wheels’ funding. But under Trump’s proposed budget, the Department of Health and Human Services, which houses the Administration on Aging, would face a 17.9 percent slash in funding.



Read More: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/meals-on-wheels-volunteers-budget-cuts_us_58cc1741e4b0ec9d29dbc991?11r590ogo23issjor&

This is a lifeline for many of our seniors. The GOP are heartless bastards.

[Eliot Rosewater]

1. In the twisted, sick world of republicans they will point to this as

the answer.

You see, people will pay for it themselves, we dont need to.

In other words the selfish, rich pricks dont want to support this with their tax dollars, let the average people do it.

fuckers

[Docreed2003]

3. Sadly, I think you are correct!!!

[EllieBC]

7. You are correct. The GOP has always said charity should be

privately funded.

This is what they want.

And people will do it because no one with a heart wants to see the elderly suffer.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

8. That may be true but we should do it anyhow

simply because the help is needed.

[BumRushDaShow]

9. "You see, people will pay for it themselves"

So along that line of thinking, the rich "people" should also pay for that $54 billion in military spending "themselves" because "we" don't need to either.

[IronLionZion]

14. That's the worst part

this sort of thing is only temporary, short surges when it makes headlines. They depend on government funding to be long term, multi-year, stable, and predictable for it to work. People don't need to eat just now, They need to eat every day for the rest of their lives.

[yeoman6987]

2. Wonderful

The repugs will say, "see the government is not needed. The citizens can do it."

[yallerdawg]

4. This would only make a cold-hearted sense...

if they were giving the money back to us. Then we could buy and transport the meals at the local level - which is what they keep telling us will happen.

But no, they're giving it to defense contractors!

[democratisphere]

5. The scum in Washington still needs to ante up.

[iluvtennis]

11. Agree and can start with stopping to pay for Melania to stay in NYC and dumpty to go to FL..

...every weekend. I read article that Meals on Wheels could be funded for hundreds of years with not paying for Melania to live in NYC.

[iluvtennis]

15. And stop going to Mar-a-lago every damm weekend. GAH

Link to tweet

[Snackshack]

6. Agreed 100%

"The GOP are heartless bastards."

This is just a vindictive move by the GOP. Between cuts like this and changes to the ACA and other cuts the GOP want to do to programs like SS, Medicare etc hopefully it will wake people up to realize just how important their vote is.

But I doubt it. People will still view politics like a sporting match, my team v your team instead of what their best interest is.

[Cryptoad]

10. Funny,,, u dont hear anybody talking abt,,

how MOW allow million of poor old people to continue to live at home rather than being on Medicaid in a $8K/month long term nursing home care facility. Which one do think cost the tax payer the mostest?????????

[sheshe2]

13. yup!

My mom will be 91 in July. Still lives at home and can still cook for herself. We assist with the shopping, yet she is still independent.

[Dulcinea]

12. My mother volunteers with Meals on Wheels.

Those people REALLY need that food...and she says they're so happy to see her. It's revolting that anyone would take food from senior citizens & the disabled.

[TexasBushwhacker]

17. Just seeing another person every day helps immensely n/t

[Glimmer of Hope]

18. That is so sweet. You have to be a really big asshole to not want this priceless service.

[ailsagirl]

16. I just donated

I hope the outcry continues-- enough is enough