Program Gave 50K Meals To Isolated Seniors In Millburn, Elsewhere

MILLBURN, NJ — As the pandemic forced businesses and services to close in 2020, the demand for SAGE’s Meals on Wheels program kept increasing, particularly as families couldn't visit the North Jersey adults served by the 56-year-old non-profit organization.

The SAGE Meals on Wheels program delivers to Berkeley Heights, Chatham, New Providence, Millburn/Short Hills, Mountainside, Summit, and Springfield. Clients of the non-profit must be 60 or over, although there's no age limit for other SAGE services to help with independent living.

The average age of seniors served by the organization is 83, half live alone, and 65 percent of those rarely see anyone other than the volunteer who brings them their meal.

By the end of the year, the nonprofit delivered a record-breaking 50,000 meals, an increase of 7,000 over the previous year, organizers say.

SAGE, founded in 1954, provides a wide array of information, support, and services designed to help individuals in need lead the most independent and active lives possible.

According to Marianne Kranz, Director of the SAGE Meals on Wheels program, she, her staff, and many volunteers continued to go to the SAGE building at 290 Broad St. in Summit every day during the pandemic to pack and deliver meals. Family members sometimes called them for help.

Community organizations and area residents pitched in by donating what was needed. Along with frozen meals and nonperishable food items, people dropped off toilet paper and paper towels, masks, baked goods and made monetary donations.

“Our goal was to provide our clients with extra food so they wouldn’t have to worry about leaving the house to get to a grocery store,” said Kranz. “There were also people coming home from the hospital alone, scared and food insecure.”

Meals on Wheels was there to help and continues to be a vital support to those in the community who need it.

If you or a family member is in need of meal assistance, call 908-273-5554.

For more information about SAGE, please call 908.273.5550 or visit www.sageeldercare.org.

To donate or help, click here.

This story is part of Patch's Headlining Hope series, which profiles local nonprofits and charitable organizations in need of volunteers and resources. If you know of a local organization that should be profiled, contact caren.lissner@patch.com.

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