Today's Elderly Nutrition Programs in the United
States trace their roots back to Great Britain
during World War II (1939.)
During
the Blitz, when German planes bombarded English
soil, many people in Britain lost their homes
and , subsequently, their ability to cook meals
for themselves. The Women's Volunteer Service
for Civil Defense responded to this emergency by
preparing and delivering meals to their
disadvantaged neighbors. These women also
brought refreshments in canteens to servicemen
during World War II. The canteens came to be
known as "Meals on Wheels." Thus, the first
organized nutrition program was born.
Following the war, the United States embarked on
its own experimental meal program.
What began as a single small program serving
seven seniors has grown into hundreds of local
home-delivered and congregate meal programs that
serve millions of elderly, disabled, or at-risk
persons across the country.
The first American home-delivered meal program
began in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in January
of 1954.
At the request of the Philadelphia Health &
Welfare Council, and funded by a grant from the
Henrietta Tower Wurtz Foundation, Margaret Toy,
a social worker in Philadelphia's Lighthouse
Community Center, pioneered a program to provide
nourishment that met the dietary needs of
homebound seniors and other "shut-ins" in the
area who otherwise would have to go hungry. As
is the case today, many participants were people
who did not require hospitalization, but who
simply needed a helping hand in order to
maintain their independence. Most of the
volunteers were high school students, who were
dubbed "Platter Angels." The "Platter Angels"
would prepare, package, and deliver food to the
elderly and disabled through their community.
