Carper Delivers Meals on Wheels with CHEER in Georgetown

GEORGETOWN, Del.— Today, a day after the release of President Trump’s budget blueprint that reduces federal funding for Meals on Wheels, U.S. Senator Tom Carper (D-Delaware) joined CHEER volunteers in Georgetown to deliver Meals on Wheels to local seniors and veterans. 

“Meals on Wheels provides a life-saving service for seniors in Delaware and across the country, and today I saw the tremendous positive impact of this program firsthand. I had the opportunity to deliver a meal to Jack Lawrence, a fellow veteran and former Marine living in Georgetown, who says he’s grateful for the great meal and companionship this program provides to him,” Senator Carper said.

“Reducing funding for the Meals on Wheels is unthinkably heartless and inconsistent with our moral obligation to care for the ‘least of these’ in our society,” he continued. “It’s also ‘penny wise and pound foolish’ because this program helps seniors and the disabled remain independent and able to stay in their homes rather than expensive assisted living facilities. This mean-spirited budget cut will directly impact people just like Jack who rely on the service for a warm meal and companionship. I invite President Trump to deliver a meal with these volunteers, and see for himself what I saw today: the Meals on Wheels program makes a critical difference in the lives of millions of Americans and their families and we should continue to fund it.”

Through a network of 5,000 organizations like CHEER, Meals on Wheels provides nutritious meals, companionship and a watchful eye on the health and safety of seniors in communities across the country. President Trump’s budget eliminates funding for the CDGB program, which funds Meals on Wheels programs in several states. His budget proposal also reduces funding by 17.9 percent for the Health and Human Services Department, which includes the Older Americans Act funding for aging programs, which also funds many states’ Meals on Wheels programs.

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