DAAA Employees Raised $30,000: Giving Back, Doing Good to Help Seniors in the Neighborhoods

DETROIT - March 22, 2016 - PRLog -- Starting before sunrise, volunteers are in place to deliver approximately 3,600 Easter Holiday meals. According to Meals on Wheels America, here are a few facts about older adults across the State of Michigan:

·       Senior Population: 1,941,783- 19.60%

·       Seniors Struggling with Hunger: 296,704- 15.30%

·       Seniors Isolated Living Alone: 536,896- 26.10%

·       Seniors Living In or Near Poverty: 581,073- 28.10%

The Detroit Area Agency on Aging (DAAA) is seeking help from the community to deliver and/or sponsor Holiday Meals on Wheels to seniors this Easter, March 27, 2016.  Churches, businesses, fraternities, sororities and DAAA employees have already pledged resources and time help deliver meals to home-bound seniors on the holiday.

DAAA's Meals on Wheels provides meals to homebound seniors in Detroit, the Grosse Pointes, Harper Woods, Hamtramck and Highland Park.

"We started the Holiday Meals in Wheels program almost 30 years ago because we wanted to make sure no senior was lonely or hungry on the holiday. We are excited that the employees of Detroit Area Agency on Aging are so committed to giving back and doing good that they did their own fundraisers (and raised $30,000) so there were resources for Easter to deliver the meals. It really does take a village to help keep our seniors safe and healthy," said Paul Bridgewater, DAAA President and CEO.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fB0OOjuOy94



Holiday meals are prepared by Valley Services, a national food services company, in their USDA-certified kitchen at 1980 Bagley Street at Rosa Parks Boulevard in Detroit.  Valley Services has been a partner with DAAA for more than 10 years.  The Easter meal menu includes: turkey ham loaf with pineapple glaze, vegetables, scalloped potatoes, juice, milk, lemon pie and a wheat roll.

Volunteers will assist in preparing and delivering the meals Easter morning. The cold portion of the meals will be packed on Good Friday, March 25 beginning 8 a.m. and the hot portion of the meals will be packed on Easter, March 27starting at 6 a.m. All packing of the meals will take place at Valley Services in Detroit. The delivery of the meals to the 12 distribution sites, where the volunteers will deliver to seniors in the neighborhoods, will begin around at 8 a.m. Sunday, March 27.

"Most volunteers are done with their delivery routes and back home by noon so they can enjoy the rest of their day with their families and feel good that they gave back and did good on the holiday," said Bridgewater.

DAAA Holiday Meals on Wheels program also includes Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas meals.

For this Easter, the following three distribution sites still need delivery volunteers:

Greater Emmanuel Church of God in Christ, 19190 Schaefer, Detroit, 48235      New Light Baptist Church, 5240 W. Chicago, Detroit, 48204          Matrix Human Services, 13560 E. McNichols, Detroit,  48205


Please call 313-446-4444 Ext. 5605 or visit www.detroitseniorsolution.com to volunteer and/or give a donation.  To help promote this effort online in social media use the hashtag #lovethysenior and #mealsonwheels and follow www.facebook.com/daaa1a.org

DAAA is a private, non-profit agency that serves older persons age 60 years and over, adults with disabilities and caregivers in the City of Detroit, the five Grosse Pointes, Hamtramck, Harper Woods and Highland Park.  Services are funded through the federal Older Americans Act of 1965 as amended and state Older Michiganians Act funding as well as other resources.   www.DetroitSeniorSolution.com

(Editors' Note: Media have the opportunity to visit the Valley Services kitchen and distribution sites for interviews and images.)