RANCHO SANTA FE – Meals on Wheels of San Diego County celebrated its 40-year partnership with the Helen Woodward Animal Center, providing meals to both seniors and their pets, during its annual gala on June 3.
The two nonprofit organizations have shared four decades of serving those in need through the animal shelter’s program, AniMeals.
Each year, Meals on Wheels delivers over 650,000 nutritious meals to older San Diegans, helping them stay fed and in their homes. The organization also advocates for issues that impact the health, wellness and independence of county residents who are 60 years or older, veterans with disabilities of any age and their caregivers.
As the Meals on Wheels mission nourishes the body, Helen Woodward Animal Center’s mission nourishes the soul through the love of a pet, proving particularly crucial to elderly and disabled pet owners who often depend on their pets as their primary companions.
Overwhelming research has shown that pets are a real health benefit for their owners. Compared to non-pet owners, those with four-legged friends at home have lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels, have a better sense of security, are more active, experience decreased levels of depression and even live longer.
Unfortunately, the cost and ability to acquire pet food is often an obstacle for homebound seniors and disabled individuals.
In 1984, a volunteer with the Meals on Wheels program discovered one of her clients was sharing her delivered food with her cats. Realizing the woman was sacrificing her own health in order to keep her furry companions, the volunteer brought the problem to Helen Woodward Animal Center and the AniMeals program was created.
The AniMeals program strives to remove financial obstacles and keep its clients together with their pets for their physical health as well as their emotional wellbeing. Initially serving just 10 clients, today AniMeals has grown exponentially and feeds more than 850 pets every month owned by homebound seniors, wounded veterans and people with disabilities.
“There really aren’t enough words to accurately describe the gratitude we feel for this collaboration,” said Renee Resko, vice president of development for the Helen Woodward Animal Center. “Keeping beloved pets in the homes of their owners is at the very heart of our mission. Working with Meals on Wheels allows us to get pet food into the homes of individuals in need, benefitting the pets but equally benefitting the owners who love them. It’s a beautiful program and a wonderful partnership.”
The program’s only limitation on continued expansion stems from necessary funding. For information, to donate pet food or to volunteer for the AniMeals program, call 858-756-4117, ext. 341, or visit www.animalcenter.org.
To make a financial contribution, contact Resko at [email protected] or call 858-756-4117, ext. 347.
