Pictured are PSR staff Nikki Dean and Jim Christie displaying the pet food that has been distributed.
Piedmont Senior Resources (PSR) is proud to announce that it has received a $2,500 Meals on Wheels Loves Pets grant through Meals on Wheels America, for its pet support program, PSR’s Pet Love Program.
The funding was used to provide food and supplies for the pets of PSR’s home delivered meal clients, which can often be a financial and physical challenge for older adults to manage on their own. The funds have been spent down.
“This grant is just another opportunity PSR staff have identified and captured for the benefit of our clients and region,” said PSR CEO Justine Young. “Nikki Dean, our Nutrition Program Coordinator, takes a huge interest in her clients and their well-being. She has recognized the importance of pets in the overall health of our aging population.”
“This grant we applied for has allowed access to thousands of pounds of dog and cat food and cat litter to older adults across Amelia, Buckingham, Charlotte, Cumberland, Lunenburg, Nottoway and Prince Edward counties,” said Dean. “It’s so important to keep older adults with their beloved pets, especially when most of those older adults were socially isolated even before the COVID-19 Pandemic hit, and now it’s become worse.”
Funding for this grant was made possible through a partnership with PetSmart Charities, part of Meals on Wheels America’s strategic effort to combat social isolation and loneliness among seniors across the country. This year, PetSmart Charities’ support allowed Meals on Wheels America to grant $354,500 to 98 Meals on Wheels programs through the Meals on Wheels Loves Pets initiative, which ensures that homebound seniors and their animal companions can live happy, healthy lives together.
“The companionship a pet offers enhances the physical and mental health and well-being of homebound seniors, which is particularly valuable as so many older adults are feeling even more lonely and isolated amid the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Meals on Wheels America President and CEO Ellie Hollander. “We’re grateful for PetSmart Charities’ ongoing support, which has allowed us to invest Meals on Wheels Loves Pets grants in more local Meals on Wheels programs than ever before. This support will enable PSR to provide pet supplies and care to local seniors, making it more feasible for seniors to remain safe and healthy at home with their beloved companions during this public health emergency and beyond.”
