LEWISTON – SeniorsPlus will hold a Fill the Plate breakfast to benefit its Meals on Wheels nutrition program, from 7 to 9 a.m. Friday, March 22, at the Hilton Garden Inn Riverwatch in Auburn, with U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, as keynote speaker.
Collins will be presented with the Ikaria Award at the breakfast. Tickets are $20 per person ($25 at the door) and are available at www.seniorsplus.org or by calling 207-795-4010. Seating is limited, and advance registration is recommended.
Proceeds will benefit Meals on Wheels of Androscoggin, Oxford and Franklin counties.
Collins will be the keynote speaker in addition to receiving the 2019 Ikaria Award, which honors an individual in the community for singular and outstanding contributions toward improving the lives of older adults. In her remarks, Senator Collins will offer personal and professional recollections of her experiences engaging with older adults and how these interactions drive her work. There is always the possibility that the Senate schedule will change and Senator Collins would need to remain in Washington, DC, for votes but she is scheduled to attend the Breakfast on March 22.
“Senator Collins has worked hard to improve the lives of Maine’s older adults,” said Betsy Sawyer-Manter, president and CEO of SeniorsPlus. “We are thrilled to honor her years of dedication and hard work with the Ikaria Award.”
As the chairwoman of the Senate Aging Committee, Collins has made it a priority to stop fraud and financial exploitation targeting seniors; lower the soaring cost of prescription drugs; improve retirement security; promote policies that allow seniors to remain in their own homes if they wish to do so; and increase funding for biomedical research for diseases and illnesses such as diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and Alzheimer’s.
For the last five consecutive years, Collins has ranked as the most bipartisan member of the U.S. Senate. Known for her Maine work ethic, Senator Collins has never missed a roll call vote, casting more than 6,800.
Ikaria is a Greek island in the Aegean Sea. It is considered one of the world’s five “Blue Zones” – places where an estimated one in three members of the population regularly lives an active life into their 90s.
The Fill the Plate Breakfast is presented in conjunction with March for Meals, a national campaign of the Meals on Wheels Association of America.
Last year, SeniorsPlus delivered more than 100,000 meals to almost 800 homebound older adults and adults with disabilities in Androscoggin, Franklin and Oxford counties through its Meals on Wheels program. Almost 700 volunteers donate more than 25,000 hours to the program annually. Each meal provides one-third of the recommended daily allowance of nutrition, a safety check, and a visit to these vulnerable adults. The majority of the consumers of Meals on Wheels are lower income or on fixed income.
“Meals on Wheels can often determine a person’s ability to remain at home,” added Sawyer-Manter.
The overall program goal of SeniorsPlus is to assist older adults and adults with disabilities in the tri-county area to remain at home safely for as long as possible. The overwhelming majority of older adults (greater than 95% in an AARP survey) wish to remain at home until they die. The Meals on Wheels program provides nourishment, socialization and regular safety checks.
The mission of SeniorsPlus is “to enrich the lives of seniors and adults with disabilities.” SeniorsPlus believes in supporting the independence, dignity, and quality of life of those it serves. Established in 1972, SeniorsPlus covers Androscoggin, Franklin, and Oxford counties and serves more than 17,000 individuals annually. The agency focuses on older adults, adults with disabilities, and families and offers a network of support, including information and assistance, short-term care management, Medicare counseling, caregiver support and respite, health and wellness education, Options Counseling, and Meals on Wheels and social dining.
