Meals on Wheels South Florida Receives Grant Award

Meals On Wheels South Florida Receives Grant From
Meals On Wheels America And PetSmart Charities® In Recognition Of Its Successful Pet Assistance Services For Seniors


Plantation, Fla. (March 15, 2022) - Meals on Wheels South Florida is proud to announce that it has received an $8,000 Meals on Wheels Loves Pets grant in recognition of their Companion Pet Program, which provides support directly to pets of Meals on Wheels clients. The funding will be used to provide food and supplies; offer grooming services; support expanded access to veterinary care and more. Along with the grant funding, Meals on Wheels South Florida has been selected to serve as a mentor for other Meals on Wheels programs across the country launching pet assistance services of their own, and to support Meals on Wheels America in the development and sharing of best practices surrounding pet programming.

"We are extremely grateful to both Meals on Wheels America and PetSmart Charities for this generous grant award, said Mark Adler, Executive Director of Meals on Wheels South Florida. This funding will allow us to grow and strengthen our pet program, and we are honored to be recognized for our pet assistance services."

Funding for this grant was made possible through a partnership between Meals on Wheels America and PetSmart Charities as part of Meals on Wheels America's strategic effort to combat social isolation and loneliness among seniors across the country. This year, Meals on Wheels America is specifically seeking to expand its Meals on Wheels Loves Pets grantmaking in an effort to address existing service gaps and facilitate pet care for more seniors who may need it and will distribute over $820,000 in funding to local programs in this grant cycle.

"Pets are vital social companions for many older adults and can have a significant positive impact on their physical and mental health and well-being," said Ellie Hollander, President and CEO, Meals on Wheels America. "With this generous funding from our partners at PetSmart Charities, we can invest in the creation and growth of critical pet assistance services in the communities that need it most, ensuring seniors and their pets can live happy, healthy lives together."

451 N. State Road 7
Plantation, FL 33317
mowsoflo.org

About Meals on Wheels South Florida
Meals on Wheels South Florida is a private nonprofit organization providing hunger-relief services since 1984. With the dedication of five-hundred volunteers, Meals on Wheels South Florida delivers nutritious meals, friendly visits and safety checks that enable South Florida seniors to live nourished lives with independence and dignity. Meals on Wheels South Florida serves more than 10,000 seniors and 5,000 children an estimated 1.5 million meals each year. Included in their comprehensive list of programs and services are home meal delivery, community-based dining, meals for companion pets, grocery shopping assistance, nutrition education and emergency meals. For more information, please call 954.731.8770 or visit mowsoflo.org.

Meals on Wheels South Florida Funding Statement
Meals on Wheels South Florida is funded under the Older Americans Act and Fair Share Dollars from local municipalities through the State of Florida's Department of Elder Affairs and The Area Agency on Aging of Broward County. The generous support from The Jim Moran Foundation, Jewish Federation of Broward, United Way of Broward, the Children's Services Council, the cities of Tamarac and Pompano and Private Donations allows us to provide meals and services to those in most immediate need who would otherwise be placed on the ever-growing waiting list for home-delivered meals.

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 isolation and hunger. This network serves virtually every community in America and, along with more than two million staff and volunteers, delivers the nutritious meals, friendly visits and safety checks that enable America's seniors to live nourished lives with independence and dignity. By providing funding, leadership, education, research and advocacy support, 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 mealsonwheelsamerica.org.

About PetSmart Charities®
PetSmart Charities, Inc. is committed to finding lifelong, loving homes for all pets by supporting programs and thought leadership that bring people and pets together. Through its in-store adoption program in all PetSmart® stores across the U.S. and Puerto Rico, PetSmart Charities helps to find forever homes and families for more than 600,000 shelter pets each year. Each year, millions of generous PetSmart shoppers help pets in need by donating to PetSmart Charities 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 $450 million since its inception in 1994. Independent from PetSmart Inc., PetSmart Charities is a 501(c)(3) organization that has received the Four-Star Rating from Charity Navigator, a third-party organization that reports on the effectiveness, accountability, and transparency of nonprofits, for the past 17 years in a row - placing it among the top one percent of charities rated by this organization. To learn more visit petsmartcharities.org.

This release was published on openPR.