Rose Festival 2019 Official Charity Is Meals On Wheels People

PORTLAND, OR – It's been almost 50 years since three women met in the basement of a church in Southeast Portland and made hot meals that they wrapped in newspaper and served to 14 seniors. Since then, what is now known as Meals on Wheels People, the group has grown to be one of the 10 largest senior nutrition programs in the country.

Meals on Wheels People now serves around 12,000 seniors every year in the Portland metro area.

The Rose Festival Foundation, which stages the annual festival, has named the organization their official charity for the 2019 festival.

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"Hunger is one of the most desperate and frightening feelings anyone, let alone an isolated senior, can experience," President of the Portland Rose Festival Foundation Teri Bowles-Atherton said. "The Rose Festival is proud to name Meals on Wheels People our official charity.

"Not only do they take care of seniors in need, they also make ethnic dishes for this very diverse community of ours and offer the Meals 4 kids program serving children and families experiencing low food security."

The selection as official charity will honor the approximately 5,000 volunteers who donate more than 2 million hours to serve meals to seniors. The Rose Festival will provide Meal on Wheels with exposure at the Rose Parade, the Starlight Parade, and other events during the two-week festival.

"This opportunity allows us to reach a broad audience with our vision that no senior will go hungry or experience social isolation," Meals on Wheels People CEO Suzanne Washington said.

"We look forward to joining in the many activities sponsored by the Rose Festival and sharing those with our senior participants."

File photo via Meals on Wheels People.