The programs are available to ….

The programs are available to all LWers who are having difficulty cooking or shopping for meals due to an illness or recent surgery, or are homebound due the COVID-19 pandemic.

Donations from the GAF are directed to the neediest residents in Leisure World, covering the daily fee for qualified, low-income residents.

Bill Cruikshank joined MOWLB in 2010 as operations director and has served as executive director since 2013. He began his nonprofit career over 40 years ago, working in administration with chemical dependency treatment and job training programs for adults and youth.

Darla Olson is vice president of advancement at MOWOC. She reports that the nonprofit has been erasing hunger and isolation for at-risk older adults for 54 years. Its overall goals are combatting the three biggest threats to this group: malnourishment, isolation and loss of independence.

Older adults make up the fastest growing age group in Orange County, and by 2050, residents over 65 will account for nearly 25 percent of the county’s entire population, according to MOWOC.

In recent years, an alarming 29 percent of low-income older adults in Orange County have reported being food insecure, according to a 2016-2018 California Health Interview Survey.

Of all MOWOC clients, 77 percent live at or below the federal poverty level, 60 percent are disabled, and 52 percent live alone.

The MOW programs are grateful to the GAF for its partnership and support in providing this valuable service to its neighbors.

“No one should go hungry in our wonderful community,” said GAF President Anna Derby.

If you or someone you know is having an issue getting food, call Robann Arshat, GRF member resources liaison, at (562) 431-6586, ext. 317, for help.

For more information about the MOWLB program, visit MOWLB.org or call Caron Adler at (562) 439-5000, ext. 1.