As the superior population of Nevada continues to grow, so do the waiting lists to request local food assistance initiatives for older people such as the Catholic Charisies of Southern Nevada's Meals On Wheels program.
Since 1975, the non -profit organization has taken advantage of subsidies and private donations to deliver pre -domed meals to residents over 60 who are in conflict due to a disease or disability. Today, request nine drivers to serve more than 2,400 customers every week.
But with a decrease of almost 20% in its budget for the fiscal year that began on July 1, and the imminent threat of additional federal fund cuts, Catholic beneficial organizations now need a friendly hand.
The president and executive director Sara Ramírez says that the reduction is partly due to the federal cuts issued earlier this year by the Efficiency Department of the Government of President Trump. Although it says that the cuts mainly affected the non -profit refugee resettlement program, other programs such as Meals On Wheels were also affected.
As a result, he says that the non -profit organization now has less money to accommodate the more than 1,000 older people who are in the growing list of the program.
“In general, food insecurity in the United States is increasing. Each statistic shows us that, and the amount of telephone calls we receive from new people looking for our services is another statement that this is true,” says Ramírez.
Last year, the Board of Trustees of Catholic charities foresaw the need to accelerate the waiting list of foods on the wheels. The members jumped to an offer from fellow Tom McCormick, president of the local housing construction company, Touchstone Living, to overcome a new house to mitigate the gap.
“It was the result of the need to really raise more dollars outside the federal, state and local government funds that could help us keep us proactively. We would love to raise a little more than $ 700,000,” says Ramírez.
Tickets are sold until July 31, with the final draw scheduled for early August. The winner, who must be present in Nevada when they buy his entrance, can choose between the three bedroom house in North Las Vegas or an cash prize of $ 250,000.
The Meals On Wheels program offers food to the elderly.
The creative solution is one of several local campaigns aimed at helping to compensate for the growing food insecurity among older people.
According to the FEEDING AMERICA 2025 MAP Report, the food gap report, the 2023 Nevada Food Insecurity rate for adults or more was 9.5%, which means that more than 75,000 major Nevadean lacked access to nutrition required to meet their basic needs. Older people with disabilities are almost three times more likely to fall under that definition.
In Las Vegas, seniors disabled as former teacher Beverly Blake, 79, continue to depend on wheel meals to help them overcome these barriers. She has been a customer “inside and outside” for more than 15 years, but her needs recently increased after a stroke left her in a wheelchair.
In that period, Blake says he has seen Catholic beneficial organizations make a continuous effort to incorporate healthier options and a greater variety of offers.
“When I worked in a preschool, I planned their food for them. So, I know exactly what to look for, and Catholic beneficial organizations really bring us good food. It is never too salty or spicy, just like you would do for your mother,” she says.
Meals On Wheels team also has a personnel nutritionist who ensures that meals do not include unhealthy levels of sodium and sugar and personalize plates for older people with specific dietary needs. They also provide additional supplementary items such as fruits, vegetables and a gallon of milk, with pet food available at request.
The service is much more than support. One of the favorite aspects of Blake's program is found in the camaraderie that wins from its delivery drivers.
“When you live alone, it is very nice to have visitors and wonderful to know that someone with a good heart cares and wants you to have a good meal,” says Blake. “And on your birthday, they will bring you a piece of cake. That makes you feel real, as if you were a person and someone reminds you. I know it sounds silly, but it is exciting.”
Ramírez says that Blake's experience is far from being an atypical case.
“We not only leave it at the main door. If you agree with that, we also enter the house and do security controls. We find that 99% of them will say yes, because many of them yearn that connection with the community,” she says.
For Ramírez, the most important component of the program is that “it allows someone to age in their place.”
“Some people do not have available income because they are retired or in Social Security. And when they cannot drive or cook, food delivery is the next best option, because they will not have to go to a life center assisted by Medicaid state,” says Ramírez. “They can also keep their independence, which is very important in our lives.”
While Blake calls Catholic Charities's Meals On Wheels “the best thing that happens to older people, point,” is one of several local non -profit organizations focused on reducing food insecurity for older people in the valley. Among the key players is Three Square Food Bank, which offers assistance through collaborations with the Dash project in Dordash and the Golden Groceries program of East Valley Family Services.
Another remarkable example is the Senior nutrition and well -being program, which served more than 13,000 older people in 2024.
With the waiting list of meals on the wheels that are expected to continue growing, Ramírez is still optimistic that the raffle will help the program and its clients to navigate an uncertain future. She adds that all the funds raised will benefit that mission.
“When government cuts occur, the demand for our services does not decrease. One of the main reasons why we are doing this raffle is to get people out of that waiting list, because we have not reduced and we have not reduced to our customers,” says Ramírez.
Meanwhile, while Blake is grateful to eat on wheels as a lifeguard, he says that he is also beginning to worry about the impact proposed by federal cuts to government assistance programs such as Medicaid and Medicare could have in older people like her.
“If I didn't have my Social Security, my [social security income] And my Medicaid and Medicare, forget it. I wouldn't succeed. I would be on the street in a wheelchair with my dog, “says Blake.” So, I get political, but that's just because I care. “
To enter the drawing, visit Catholiccharities.com/events/new-home-raphle.
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