History:

In 2008, the Merck Company Foundation committed $50,000 to MOWAA in response to the rising gas costs that were preventing Meals On Wheels programs from making deliveries. In 2009, Merck donated another $240,000 to support MOWAA’s Rural Initiative. Merck’s support for the Rural Initiative is critical to MOWAA’s effort to help strugglingMeals On Wheels programs in rural America face challenges such as delivering meals on 50-mile routes, and covering the cost of gas, time and labor. Merck’s contribution will also fund a documentary about the shocking severity of senior hunger in Rural America.

In addition to the Rural Initiative, MOWAA teamed up the Merck Foundation and Retirement Living Television (RLTV) in 2010 and 2011 to produce “Good Food, Good Deeds”, a half-hour television series highlighting the fast paced environment of Meals On Wheels programs and the preparation of nutritious meals. As the premier sponsor of the first five pilot episodes, Merck provided funded for the show that features celebrity guests Linda Gray, Florence Henderson, Joy Bauer, Bob Eubanks, Mariette Hartley, and others.

Impact:

The Rural Initiative documentary will raise public awareness about the devastating impact of senior hunger in Rural America. With this heightened awareness, MOWAA will be able raise the additional funding necessary to find and implement solutions to problems unique to rural areas. As part of the Rural Initiative, MOWAA hosted Leader’s Labs, which brought together the best minds in the nonprofit, corporate, public and academic sectors, to focus on finding solutions to the problems facing Rural America. The anticipated outcome is the development and dissemination of a blueprint for the model rural Senior Nutrition Program that will ensure both enhanced capacity and sustainability

“Good Food, Good Deeds” will also generate awareness about senior hunger and the great work our Meals On Wheels programs do across the country. Beyond learning more about meal operations on a grassroots levels, the show will provide viewers with cooking demonstrations of nutritious meals.