The pandemic changed a lot of things — but for seniors, many of those changes never went away. Jennifer Covert, Executive Director of Meals on Wheels of Eastern Onondaga County, spoke about why the need for services like Meals on Wheels has only grown since COVID. Senior food insecurity was already a serious issue before the pandemic, but the isolation that followed made things significantly worse. Many seniors who couldn’t leave their homes simply stopped wanting to. Jennifer believes that showing up for them — with a hot meal, a familiar face, and a genuine connection — gives them something to live for and allows them to stay in the homes they love, surrounded by the memories they’ve built over a lifetime.
