Officials from Our Lady of Bellefonte Hospital's (OLBH) Meals on Wheels program have announced the program has been awarded a $10,000 grant from the Meals on Wheels Association of America (MOWAA) and the Wal-Mart Foundation to fight senior hunger.

This past year, many Meals on Wheels programs were forced to change or reduce their services, because of severe operating constraints brought on by rising food and gas prices and the current economic crisis.  The MOWAA/Wal-Mart Foundation Cure Grant is intended to alleviate these burdens and restore nutrition services to better serve seniors.  OLBH will use its grant funding to support the routes in its most outlying areas.  "With the MOWAA/Wal-Mart Foundation Cure Grant, we will be able to feed more of our clients in the areas where we currently have the most need," Mary Ellen Conley, OLBH Senior Services coordinator, said.

OLBH assists with meals being delivered five days a week to elderly or disabled people with food being prepared by a variety of vendors and delivered by volunteers. Meals on Wheels routes include the communities of Bellefonte, Flatwoods, Raceland, Russell, Summit and Westwood, which are served by the OLBH program. Volunteers in Grayson, Greenup, Olive Hill, South Shore and Worthington coordinate programs to serve those areas with advisory support from OLBH.

The MOWAA is the oldest and largest national organization in the United States representing those programs that provide meals to people in need. To obtain more information about MOWAA, visit the MOWAA website at http://www.mowaa.org/.

Through its philanthropic programs and partnerships, the Wal-Mart Foundation supports initiatives focused on enhancing opportunities in education, job skills training, sustainability and health and wellness. In 2007, Wal-Mart, Sam's Club and the Wal-Mart Foundation gave $296 million to communities across the United States. To learn more, visit http://www.walmartfoundation.org/.

For more information on how to assist in serving the hunger needs of Ashland-area seniors, call (606)-833-3398 or toll-free at 1-877-827-7012.