Meals on Wheels Columbia is praising a $143,000 donation from the Columbia-based Veterans United Foundation and employees of Veterans United Home Loans.
The commitment will cover the cost of meals for six months, which means more than 29,000 meals for local clients. Meals on Wheels Columbia executive director Teri Walden says this is a gift that that directly impacts seniors and those with disabilities in Columbia:
“We’ve had tears, we’ve had hugs. These clients are just … you know people who are glad to not have been forgotten this holiday season. And it just really impacts them, and it impacts us as an agency,” Ms. Walden says.
Ms. Walden tells 939 the Eagle that there’s a lot of food insecurity for seniors in Columbia. She says with food costs increasing, VU’s gift has supplied enough funds to provide for those in need. The 182 seniors, disabled or ill residents served by Meals on Wheels Columbia will enjoy nutritious daily hot meals for at least the next six months, thanks to the donation. Ms. Walden describes Veterans United and the VU Foundation as amazing:
“Imagine, you know, having a community without them. We can’t do that anymore, because they have touched so many lives. And with this gift they have certainly touched a lot of people who, people don’t often see or know that are out there,” Walden says.
Director Walden says their clients and the volunteers who regularly deliver the meals appreciate the donation. Meals on Wheels is a non-profit organization that delivers hot meals to those with disabilities and homebound seniors.
