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National Meals on Wheels Loves Pets Initiative Supported by PetSmart Charities
CICOA Aging & In-Home Solutions announced that it has received a $10,500 Meals on Wheels Loves Pets Regional Cohort Grant from Meals on Wheels America to support its pet assistance program, Pet Connect.
Caring for a pet can be a financial and physical challenge for homebound older adults to manage on their own and funding will be used to expand our service area and the number of participants we can serve, add additional volunteers and incentives to retain current volunteers, and focus on creating new partnerships to add to the available services we can provide to participants.
“We are grateful for this grant funding that helps keep our senior neighbors and their pets healthy and home together,” said Chelsea Neulieb, director of CICOA’s Meals & More service. “Seniors on fixed incomes can struggle to afford nutritious meals for themselves, which means they also struggle to feed their pets. The benefit of this grant to CICOA’s clients is clear: Low-income, homebound seniors no longer must choose between feeding themselves or their pets.”
In line with Meals on Wheels America’s strategic efforts to combat social isolation and loneliness among seniors, its national Meals on Wheels Loves Pets initiative has distributed over $750,000 in grants this year to grow local pet assistance programs with generous support from PetSmart Charities®. Over the course of the partnership with PetSmart Charities, more than 41,000 Meals on Wheels clients and their pets have received support with services such as pet food deliveries, access to veterinary care, grooming and more.
“Pet companionship not only makes homebound seniors feel less lonely but also improves their physical and mental well-being, helping them to stay happier, healthier and more independent in their homes,” said Meals on Wheels America President and CEO, Ellie Hollander. “That’s why we’re so grateful for our growing partnership with PetSmart Charities, enabling us to provide grants to CICOA’s Pet Connect, for critical support.”
Currently Pet Connect serves 148 pets belonging to 70 homebound clients. This grant will allow the addition of 150 more pets.
About Meals on Wheels America
Meals on Wheels America is the leadership organization supporting the more than 5,000 community-based programs across the country that are 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. By providing funding, programming, education, research and advocacy, Meals on Wheels America empowers its local member programs to strengthen their communities, one senior at a time. For more information, or to find a Meals on Wheels provider near you, visit www.mealsonwheelsamerica.org.
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 for the past 18 years in a row – placing it among the top one percent of rated charities. To learn more, visit www.PetSmartCharities.org.
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