Marching for meals

Barbara Crnkovich took a stand against senior hunger by walking laps at Spokane Valley Mall on Tuesday.

“I think it’s important to do this for our senior citizens who are unable to get out. We may be in that situation someday, so let’s give them a hand.”

The March for Meals walkathon rallied more than 100 seniors, who started arriving at 7 a.m. to march in support of Spokane Valley Meals on Wheels, a program that delivered 85,000 nutritious meals to homebound elderly residents last year.

Fund-raisers are scheduled throughout March for Spokane Valley and for Mid-City Meals on Wheels, a Spokane agency that delivered 111,000 meals last year to seniors living in Spokane and outlying communities.

Both agencies rely on hundreds of volunteers and have suffered cuts in state and local funding.

Organizers hope to increase awareness of the value of senior nutrition and to make elderly people of all financial backgrounds aware that short- and long-term meal delivery is available.

“I still get calls from people who have gone without meals for a period of time because they don’t know about us,” said Pam Almeida, director of Spokane Valley Meals on Wheels.

Joan Kilian said there’s been a tremendous growth in need during her 20 years as a volunteer.

“When I first started, there were five routes and now there are 23 routes, which just show how the program is growing in Spokane Valley.”

Kilian supports the program because it helps seniors retain their independence.

Advocates for the elderly say the meal service improves quality of life while saving taxpayers unnecessary nursing home expenses.

“It is such a marvelous program and it fulfills such a need,” Kilian said.

During the walkathon, representatives of the Greater Spokane Elks Lodge surprised Almeida with a check for $1,000.

“I was floored. It was just amazing,” Almeida said.

Valley Councilman Rich Munson was on hand to declare March as March for Meals Month in Spokane Valley.

However, the cash-strapped city has not offered much financial help for social service agencies.

Munson said the city has $100,000 budgeted for human services next year.

Within that budget, the city plans to give $1,000 to the organization.

Munson hopes as the new city gets a handle on revenue and expenses, it will set aside more funding for agencies like Meals on Wheels.

“We’re trying to help pay as much as we can.”