'Fill the Plate' telethon set Dec. 2 to help feed the elderly

The Heritage Area Agency on Aging is hoping the public dials in to help feed elderly residents in eastern Iowa. Heritage is hosting a telethon to bring greater support and awareness for its Senior Nutrition Home Delivered and Congregate Meal program.

The Fill the Plate telethon runs from 5-10 p.m. on Sunday, December 2, on KCRG 9.2. The event will raise money to help mitigate this year's funding shortfall and increase awareness and local engagement for this critical program now and into the future.

Last year, in partnership with local providers, Heritage provided 490,000 home-delivered and congregate meals to low-income seniors in eastern Iowa. Funding for the program has not kept pace with increasing operating costs and the expanding needs of seniors, as that population continues to grow. Heritage expects to cut the number of meals it helps fund by 83,000 this year.

“We hope to raise money to serve those 83,000 meals that were cut,” said Tim Getty, the Nutrition and Healthy Living program coordinator for Heritage. “We know with an aging population and tight budgets, that we'll need continued help from the public to support seniors who rely on us for their daily meals.”

There are sponsorship and entertainment opportunities available to those interested in participating in the Fill The Plate telethon. For more information, contact The Heritage Area Agency on Aging at 1-800-332-3934 or heritage@kirkwood.edu.