SUMMIT, NJ — City officials and members of community organizations are invited to join SAGE Eldercare during Community Champions Week, March 20-24, as it participates in the 20th annual March for Meals — a month-long, nationwide coming together of local community organizations, businesses, government officials and caring individuals to ensure that homebound and vulnerable older adults are not forgotten.
Past participants have included Summit Mayor Nora Radest, as well as police chiefs from Summit, New Providence, Berkeley Heights, Springfield and Mountainside, and local government officials and volunteers.
Established in 1966, SAGE’s Meals on Wheels is the oldest continuously run home delivery meal program in New Jersey. In 2022, approximately 100 volunteers delivered more than 28,875 meals to 250 people in Union County — Berkeley Heights, Mountainside, New Providence, Springfield and Summit; Essex County — Millburn and Short Hills; and Morris County — Chatham and Madison. The average age of the clients SAGE delivers meals to is 83. Of those, 65 percent say they rarely have visitors other than their Meals on Wheels volunteer.
“The services that we provide older adults in our area are critical; it’s not just a warm meal, but also a friendly visit, sometimes the only human contact a person gets the whole day,” said Terry Kaniuk, volunteer manager for Meals on Wheels. “Together, we can keep older adults living independently, healthier at home and feeling more connected to their community as they age.”
For more information about participating in March for Meals, contact Terry Kaniuk at 908-598-5514 or email [email protected].