7,500 Emergency Food Boxes Delivered to Seniors in Need

Funded by Greater Cincinnati Foundation & United Way of Greater Cincinnati’s COVID-19 Regional Response Fund.

Annually, Council on Aging (COA) serves more than 26,000 vulnerable older adults and people with disabilities in our region. Now, during the COVID-19 pandemic, COA is working to ensure the health and safety of their clients, as well as meet the needs of individuals who have never before needed assistance.

Seniors are afraid or unable to leave their homes to shop for groceries and other essential supplies due to COVID-19. They are among the groups most at risk for serious complications from the virus.

With generous support to the Greater Cincinnati’s COVID-19 Relief Fund, COA has been able to provide some assurance to area seniors that their needs will not go unmet, particularly when it comes to food. For example, COA, through their provider network, has delivered more than 7,500 emergency food boxes to home-delivered meals recipients. Each box contained a 14-day supply of shelf stable meals to be set aside in the event regular meal delivery is disrupted due to COVID-19. That’s more than 105,000 meals for seniors.

The COVID-19 Relief Fund has also enabled COA to provide food and other essential supplies to seniors who are not enrolled in their programs but need help now as a direct result of COVID-19.

“This is an extraordinary time for everyone, but seniors are particularly at risk. Our staff and provider networks are working hard to serve not only our existing clients, but also others in our community who now find themselves in need,” said Suzanne Burke, Council on Aging’s CEO. “We could not do this without community support and the response has been tremendous. I’ve lived in Cincinnati all my life. I know what a great community this is and they certainly haven’t failed seniors during this critical time.”

Council on Aging is the Area Agency on Aging for Butler, Clermont, Clinton, Hamilton and Warren counties. Nearly 183,000 people age 65 and older live in our region. Seniors who need help during this time should contact COA at (513) 721-1025 or visit www.help4seniors.org.