Guest Editorial by Our CEO Highlights Impact of Boomers on Health Care, Social Services

A guest column from Teresa Barry, CEO of Meals On Wheels of Stark & Wayne Counties, appeared in today's Repository in Canton, Ohio, and highlighted the impact of the baby boomer generation on our nation's health care and social services systems as boomers begin to reach retirement age.

The article, headlined "Fallout From The Baby Boom," was the featured article on the front page of the "Your Voice" section of the paper.

The editorial begins, "Beginning in 2011, the tidal wave of Americans reaching retirement age will become a full-blown tsunami."

From there, Terri describes the impact of the aging of the baby boom generation on everything from health care to the increased demand for social services that is sure to follow.

"Without adequate funding, social service agencies will be forced to turn to the private sector for assistance, including corporations, foundations and philanthropic-minded individuals," she writes. "Either that or pass costs on to already struggling clients."

To read the entire editorial, click here.

You Can Make a Difference for Your Homebound Neighbors

Here at Meals On Wheels of Stark & Wayne Counties, we're always in need of volunteers to help deliver meals to our homebound neighbors.

It's a great way to stay active and make a difference in the community. From the time they gather at one of our 21 locations in Stark and Wayne counties, to actually delivering the meals to our clients' homes, volunteers are interacting with people who enjoy their company and depend on their spirit of service.

As a volunteer, you'll typically help one day a week, and deliver the same route each time. That way, you'll become familiar with the streets and neighborhoods you travel, and get well acquainted with the clients on your route.

Arrival time is around 10:30 a.m., and deliveries begin at 10:45. Most routes take between 60 and 90 minutes to complete. We provide training for new volunteers, and mileage reimbursement is available.

It's important to note that our volunteers do more than just deliver meals. They offer warm smiles and peace of mind—for our clients, and their loved ones. Volunteers are often the only people our clients see during the day. If a client doesn't answer the door, or if our volunteer notices something else out of the ordinary when they arrive at the home, the volunteer is instructed to call our office to notify us.

We then attempt to call the client; if we're not able to reach them, we then contact a relative or neighbor that the client had previously designated, just to let them know. Following this simple procedure, some clients have been rescued from potentially catastrophic situations. In some cases, lives have been saved.

We believe passionately in the work we do and are proud of the dedicated service our volunteers provide every day. Can we count on you to lend a hand? Just call us at 330-832-7220 to become a part of the team. Or visit our website at http://www.mow-starkwayne.org/ for more information.

Meals On Wheels of Stark & Wayne Counties on YouTube

We've created a YouTube account for Meals On Wheels of Stark & Wayne Counties, and look forward to sharing more information about our agency and our mission via video presentations.

The first one is an appearance by our CEO, Teresa Barry, on the "On Track with Betty Mac" television program. "On Track" airs weekly on Canton City Schools Television, which is carried on Time Warner Cable channel 11 in the Canton, Ohio market. You can view the segment here; it runs just under 10 minutes.

There is an additional television appearance by Terri that is posted on the NEON page on YouTube. NEON stands for the Northeast Ohio Network, which is operated by Time Warner and carried on their cable service throughout Northeast Ohio. Terri appeared on their "Helping Hands" program. You can view it here.

Watch for more Meals On Wheels of Stark & Wayne Counties video clips on our You Tube channel.

Census Bureau Report: Number of Aging Boomers Will Jump by 2030

The U.S. Census Bureau reports that the dependency ratio (the ratio of the number of people 65 and older to every 100 people of traditional working ages) is projected to climb from 22 in 2010 to 35 in 2030. This time period coincides with the time when a significant number of baby boomers will move into the 65-and-older age category.

“This rapid growth of the older population may present challenges in the next two decades,” said Victoria Velkoff, assistant chief for estimates and projections for the Census Bureau's Population Division, who is quoted in a new release from the bureau.

Health care for aging Americans is one of the chief concerns raised by this developing trend. Agencies like Meals On Wheels of Stark & Wayne Counties are expected to play a more significant role in serving this growing part of the population.

"As the percentage of population above 65 increases, so will the need for health care and essential social services," said Teresa Barry, CEO of Meals On Wheels of Stark & Wayne Counties and chairman of the Meals On Wheels Association of America. "Meal delivery and nutrition programs like Meals On Wheels will be vital to the independence and quality of life enjoyed by those in their retirement years."

Click here to read the full release.