Kaine, in Richmond, discusses issues facing seniors
Back in his hometown of Richmond during a Thanksgiving recess of the U.S. Congress, U.S. Sen. Timothy M. Kaine, D-Va., spent Monday listening to the concerns of seniors and their support groups on issues ranging from Alzheimer’s disease to hunger.
Kaine, a member of the Senate Special Committee on Aging and co-sponsor of the HOPE for Alzheimer’s Act, led a roundtable discussion on the disease focusing on how federal and local government can provide better support.
Later, Kaine and leaders from area nonprofit groups Richmond Senior Connections, FeedMore and Meals on Wheels delivered food to needy residents who lack the ability to leave their homes.
“The number of our seniors who rely on Meals on Wheels is huge,” said Kaine, who has worked with the group for years dating back to his time as a Richmond city councilman.
“And the programs would not exist if it were not for volunteers. For so many seniors, it might be the one person that they see in their home every day,” he added. “It’s not just a meal delivery, it’s human contact.”
There are 22 Senior Connections locations in the central Virginia region that provide services for older adults. Officials said the region has approximately 174,000 residents age 60 or older, roughly 25,000 of whom take advantage of services made available through Senior Connections, including 800 who receive Meals on Wheels.
Need in the region, however, is not limited to the elderly. The nonprofit group FeedMore serves more than 207,000 in a 29-county region that runs from Frederick County to Williamsburg, Charlottesville to the North Carolina border. CEO Doug Pick said 55,000 of their clients are children, while 40,000 are seniors.
Of even greater concern is the increase in food insecurity in the population. Pick said the amount of meals provided per client per year has increased from 163 to 178, a roughly 9 percent jump.
“The poor are getting poorer,” he said.
With 10,000 Americans a day turning 65, officials said the needs are likely to increase.
Kaine said the recently passed two-year budget deal Congress reached will provide greater support to programs that serve older Americans, like the “Friendship Cafes” sponsored by Richmond Senior Connections that provide meals, education and activities for seniors.
Following his Meals on Wheels tour, the senator sat down to a lunch of baked ziti, broccoli and applesauce with a couple dozen seniors at the independent living community at Guardian Place on Hamilton Street In Richmond.
“It’s not just a meal,” Kaine said, thankful to be home for the holiday. “It’s fellowship.”
