On March 22, South Floral Park Mayor Angel E. Soto participated in Nassau County's Mayors for Meals campaign by helping to deliver meals to homebound participants of the Meals on Wheels Program. This campaign was designed to promote public awareness of the program, recruit new volunteers to assist with the meal delivery and increase local fundraising efforts. Concurrently, other elected officials were also delivering meals to residents of their communities to support this valuable service.

The Meals on Wheels Program, funded by the Nassau County Department of Senior Citizen Affairs through grants from the federal Administration on Aging, the New York State Office for the Aging and Nassau County, annually delivers more than 400,000 nutritious meals to older persons who are unable to cook or shop for themselves.

In the South Floral Park area, the delivery of the meals is coordinated by Catholic Charities, Diocese of Rockville Centre. Mayor Soto started his day at First Christ Church in Hempstead where he joined Rockville Centre Mayor Eugene J. Murray and Garden City Mayor Gerard P. Lundquist in picking up the meals to be delivered. He was accompanied to the home of Maurice Wilson, a program participant, by Mindy Levine, RD nutritionist for the Department of Senior Citizen Affairs and Gabriel Boscarato, driver for Catholic Charities. At the home, he greeted Wilson and delivered his meals and a cheery balloon.

"Nassau County's Nutrition Programs provide nourishment and support to an ever-increasing older population," Doctor Sharon Mullon, commissioner of the Nassau County Department of Senior Citizen Affairs, said. "These programs clearly help older residents remain in their homes. They improve nutritional intake, decrease social isolation, serve an at-risk, vulnerable population and demonstrate a real success story in human services. We are so pleased that Mayor Soto was able to take time from his busy schedule to help us focus attention on the importance of good nutrition to the health of our older citizens."

For further information on the Meals on Wheels Program, call the department at 227-8900. Anyone interested in volunteering to assist in this program should contact Catholic Charities at 377-2691.