Meals on Wheels -- Bennington County, Vermont: Feeding Seniors Nutritious and Fresh with (Mostly) Donated Food

Waste not, want not. Depression-era children, now seniors, grew up hearing that refrain. Now, they're living it as recipients of Meals on Wheels (MOW) of Bennington County, Vermont. This progressive senior nutrition program transforms gleaned food from local farms, the Vermont Foodbank, and regional grocery stores to produce farm-to-table meals that rival food served in the finest restaurants. This isn't your typical Meals on Wheels program. It wouldn't be possible - given the minimal government funding which only covers approximately half the cost of each of the 50,000 meals it serves each year - without using donated food. In fact, 80% of the food served is donated -- and might have been wasted if not for MOW. Using fresh, local ingredients to cook meals from scratch, MOW Bennington is nourishing thousands of area seniors, both the homebound and those able to access community meal sites near their homes. The innovative Bennington Café serves lunch daily, with a choice of entrees. It has become the popular spot for men and women of a certain age who want to remain active and independent as long as possible. "There is an untapped wealth of usable, yet unsellable, food here in Southern Vermont," notes Susan Fox, Executive Director of MOW Bennington, who is retiring in October. "Incorporating this donated and re- captured food, especially fresh fruits and vegetables, has increased the nutritional content of our meals and reduced waste in the food system." Fox and he...
Source: Healthy Living - The Huffington Post - Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news