PA Secretary of Aging Delivers Meals on Wheels in Berks County

READING, Pa., May 20, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Secretary of Aging Brian Duke today delivered meals to Berks County elders in need as part of the Berks Encore Annual Celebrity Meals on Wheels Volunteer-for-a-Day program.

As the program's 2013 celebrity chairperson, Duke applauded the volunteers who help homebound seniors every day. The Meals on Wheels program is a vital community service that provides home-delivered meals to more than 750 home bound people each day in Berks County.

"I applaud Berks Encore for doing a great job of coordinating this day of service and awareness," Duke said. "Volunteers who take part in the Meals on Wheels program play an important role in making sure older Pennsylvanians get a hot, nutritious meal from a caring person in their community."

Each year, Berks Encore solicits volunteers from businesses and organizations to help deliver meals throughout the county and to promote a better understanding of the program.

In Berks County, more than 900 volunteers provided more than 36,000 hours of service and delivered nearly 175,000 meals last year to older adults in need. Without the support of volunteers from the community, these meals would not be delivered.

The Volunteer-for-a-Day program gives the Berks County community the opportunity to see how Meals on Wheels benefits many older adults. It also highlights the vital part volunteers play in the success of the program.

"Berks Encore created this event to bring attention to the special people who volunteer in their programs and the aging population they serve," Duke said. "I thank them for their time and devotion to this exceptional cause."

Home-delivered meal programs are provided through the Area Agencies on Aging.

For more information on this program, visit: www.aging.state.pa.us

Media contact: Christina Reese - 717-783-1550

SOURCE Pennsylvania Department of Aging