Meals on Wheels Association of America CEO Challenges us to Take Action

"We have to have a mission.  We have to have a goal.  And we have to have a purpose.  If we put our heads and hearts together, we can make a difference."

So said Enid Borden, CEO of the Meals on Wheels Association of America, speaking this morning at Blackbaud's quarterly company meeting.  She was our guest today, sharing her thoughts as a customer and as a nonprofit leader trying to work herself "out of a job."  To do that, she'd need to eradicate hunger among this nation's seniors.  The good news is that she -- and her fine organization -- are doing so much good, serving more than 1 million meals a day.  The bad news is, there are about 2 million more people who still go hungry. 

The statistics are staggering, so much so that it's clear much work needs to be done before Enid can step back and say she's finished championing this cause, which she so eloquently does.  According to data Enid shared, in 2000, there were more than 35 million people in the U.S. who were age 65 or older.  Within 30 years, that number will more than double, to 71 million.  And the number of people aged 80 and above will also more than double.  In addition to seeing healthcare costs, which are much higher for those over 65, soar, we'll also see the number of hungry seniors grow to numbers I can't comprehend...or maybe don't want to.

Depressed?  Sad?  Horrified?  We should be.  It's an awful state of affairs, but on the plus side, one that -- as Enid said today -- has a cure.  We know what to do, we just need to do it.  We can make sure that our neighbors, our grandparents, our community members ("the people who raised us, nourished us, fed us") who aren't as mobile and might not have the support systems they need, get fed.  We can also reach out and help the Meals on Wheels Association in our area expand what they do. 

If senior hunger isn't the cause that hits you in the gut and makes you say "I have to do something about this," then find something else.  Take something on that matters to you...and make a difference.  

Enid knows what her mission is...to work herself out of a job.  What's yours?