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National Meals on Wheels Loves Pets Initiative Supported by PetSmart Charities
Indianapolis, IN – CICOA Aging & In-Home Solutions today announced that it has received a Meals on Wheels Loves Pets grant from Meals on Wheels America to support older adults and their pets in Central Indiana. Meals on Wheels America is the national leadership organization supporting community-based providers across the U.S. dedicated to addressing senior hunger and isolation.
CICOA was awarded $11,500 to support its pet assistance program. This grant supports Meals on Wheels America’s plan to End the Wait®, which seeks to ensure every senior who needs Meals on Wheels gets it.
“For many older adults, a beloved pet is a source of companionship, comfort, and purpose, helping reduce loneliness and providing a meaningful connection in everyday life. This generous support from Meals on Wheels America and PetSmart Charities allows CICOA to strengthen our Pet Connect program so that seniors don’t have to choose between meeting their own needs and caring for the animals they love,” shared Lisa Schneekloth, president and CEO of CICOA Aging & In-Home Solutions. “By providing pet food, supplies, and access to essential care, we’re helping older adults remain healthy, independent, and connected to the pets that enrich their lives every day.”
Funding from the Meals on Wheels Loves Pets grant will enable CICOA to expand its Pet Connect program, which provides pet food, essential supplies, and access to supportive pet-care resources for older adults throughout Central Indiana. The grant will help CICOA reopen enrollment to seniors currently waiting for assistance, allowing more older adults to keep their pets healthy and safely at home while preserving the companionship and emotional support that are vital to their well-being.
“For many older adults, pets are more than companions — they are family,” said Ellie Hollander, president and chief executive officer of Meals on Wheels America. “Too often, challenges can make it difficult for seniors to care for both themselves and their beloved pets. Through Meals on Wheels Loves Pets, we help older adults access pet food, veterinary care and other essential support that can ease those burdens and strengthen the bond they share with their pets. Together, we are helping older adults maintain the companionship, comfort and sense of purpose that pets bring to their lives.”
A total of $740,000 in grants was awarded to 62 local Meals on Wheels providers as part of the Meals on Wheels Loves Pets program. Funding from PetSmart Charities made these grants possible, helping keep seniors and their pets healthy, happy and safely at home.
To learn more about CICOA’s efforts in Central Indiana, visit https://cicoa.org/.
About Meals on Wheels America
Meals on Wheels America is the leadership organization supporting approximately 5,000 community-based providers across the country dedicated to addressing senior hunger and isolation. Powered by a trusted volunteer workforce, this network delivers a comprehensive solution that begins with a meal and is proven to enable independence and well-being through the additional benefits of tailored nutrition, social connection, safety and much more. Through public awareness, funding, programming, education, research and advocacy, Meals on Wheels America empowers local providers to strengthen their communities, one senior at a time. At a time when demand for Meals on Wheels services is growing, and many seniors are left waiting, Meals on Wheels America is dedicated to helping End the Wait® and ensuring every senior who needs Meals on Wheels gets it. For more information, or to locate a Meals on Wheels provider near you, visit mealsonwheelsamerica.org. You can also find Meals on Wheels America on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Threads, Bluesky, TikTok and X.
About PetSmart Charities®
PetSmart Charities® is committed to making the world a better place for pets and all who love them. Through its in-store adoption program in all PetSmart® stores across the U.S. and Puerto Rico, PetSmart Charities has helped 10 million pets connect with loving homes. PetSmart Charities also provides grant funding to support organizations that advocate and care for the well-being of all pets and their families. PetSmart Charities’ grants and efforts connect pets with loving homes through adoption, improve access to affordable veterinary care and support families in times of crisis with access to food, shelter and disaster relief. Each year, millions of generous supporters help pets in need by donating to PetSmart Charities directly at PetSmartCharities.org, while shopping at PetSmart.com, and by using the PIN pads at checkout registers inside PetSmart stores. In turn, PetSmart Charities efficiently uses more than 90 cents of every dollar donated to fulfill its role as the leading funder of animal welfare in North America, granting more than $600 million since its inception in 1994. Independent from PetSmart LLC, PetSmart Charities is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that has received the Four-Star Rating from Charity Navigator consecutively since 2003 – placing it among the top one percent of rated charities. To learn more, visit www.PetSmartCharities.org.
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CICOA AGING & IN-HOME SOLUTIONS RECEIVES GRANT FROM MEALS ON WHEELS AMERICA TO SUPPORT OLDER ADULTS AND THEIR PETS IN CENTRAL INDIANA
