MERIDIAN, Idaho — After last year's event was canceled due to COVID-19, the annual March for Meals walk returned to Julius M. Kleiner Memorial Park in Meridian on Saturday.
Metro Meals on Wheels serves and delivers meals to seniors throughout the Treasure Valley and benefits from the march go to the nutrition program. March for Meals also spotlights senior hunger and food insecurity during the event.
Sponsors of the march donated $5 to Metro Meals on Wheels for each person who participates, although the event is free to participate in.
According to KTVB's Larry Gebert -- who marched at Kleiner Park on Saturday -- 467 people walked in the 2022 event in support of solutions for senior hunger and food insecurity.
RELATED: Where's Larry? Kleiner Park
Metro Meals on Wheels delivers and serves more than 1,500 hot meals each weekday and more than 1,000 frozen meals each weekend to seniors living independently in their own homes.
According to the program's website, one in six seniors in the U.S. regularly face hunger or food insecurity.
At this point last year, Metro Meals on Wheels was serving around 1,200 meals each weekday to seniors throughout Ada County, Emmett, Middleton, Marsing and portions of Caldwell, 300 less than now.
"The food is critical to the seniors, but Meals on Wheels is more than a meal to them," CEO of Metro Meals on Wheels, Grant Jones said in a news release. "Ninety percent say it makes them feel more safe and secure, 81% say it improves their health, and 92% say it enables them to remain independent at home with their pets."
Horizon Credit Union and Chobani sponsored Saturday's March for Meals. More information on donating to the program or volunteering with Metro Meals on Wheels can be found by clicking here.
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