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CONGRESSMEN MORELLE AND FITZPATRICK RE-INTRODUCE LEGISLATION TO SUPPORT VOLUNTEERS CARING FOR VULNERABLE AMERICANS

May 24, 2022

Legislation would increase reimbursement rate associated with delivering meals to older individuals and those most in need

Today, Congressmen Joe Morelle (D-NY-25) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA-1) re-introduced the Delivering Elderly Lunches and Increasing Volunteer Engagement and Reimbursements (DELIVER) Act to support volunteers in programs which help deliver food to older, more vulnerable Americans. This legislation would also help eliminate barriers to reaching more individuals for charitable organizations like Meals on Wheels.

“Every day, thousands of local volunteers dedicate their time and energy to ensuring older Americans have nutritious meals on a reliable basis, but higher prices at the pump are making it difficult,” said Rep. Joe Morelle. “This legislation reaffirms my commitment to supporting and uplifting those community members who need it most. I am proud to stand alongside my colleagues to introduce this common-sense legislation as a way of lifting the burden on volunteers and allowing them to serve more Monroe County residents in need.”

“The DELIVER Act will help both our elderly citizens and volunteers for organizations like Meals on Wheels, and I am proud to introduce this legislation alongside Rep. Morelle,” said Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick. “This bipartisan bill will create greater, widespread access to meals for elderly Americans and relieve some of the financial stress placed on volunteers.”

“Thousands of seniors across our state rely on warm, nutritious home-delivered meals and the selfless volunteers who bring them,” said Senator Angus King (I-Maine). “These volunteers are critical to Maine communities, and as the cost of making these deliveries rise, we need to ensure that our Good Samaritans can continue to fulfill this vital role without incurring large personal costs. The bipartisan DELIVER Act would increase mileage deductions for volunteers so they can continue to do their invaluable work and improve the lives of Maine seniors across the state. I’m deeply grateful for the work of Maine’s meal-delivery services, and hope we can pass this bipartisan legislation to give them the support they deserve.”

Ellie Hollander, President and CEO of Meals on Wheels America, said, “Volunteers have always been an integral part of Meals on Wheels’ DNA, keeping our wheels turning and extending our reach into communities from coast to coast—rural, urban and suburban—to ensure older adults have access to the nutrition, safety checks and social connection they need to live healthy, independent lives in their own homes. The tremendous role volunteers play has been particularly evident throughout the pandemic, as they have helped local Meals on Wheels programs mobilize to provide more services to more seniors than ever before,” said Ellie Hollander, President and CEO, Meals on Wheels America. “At a time when we’re facing challenges stemming from inflation, high gas prices and more, we must do all we can to remove additional unnecessary financial burdens on our volunteers, so they can continue their essential work as we need them now more than ever."

Currently, the tax deduction for the charitable use of a passenger automobile to deliver meals to homebound individuals is 14 cents per mile – a rate that has remained unchanged for nearly two decades.

This legislation seeks to raise that deduction to the standard business rate, which in 2022 is 58 cents per mile, bringing equity to the millions of Americans who volunteer their time and resources to deliver meals to our nation's most vulnerable citizens.

More than 1 million seniors in New York are living alone while almost 648,000 are threatened by hunger and about 522,500 live in or near poverty. Across the state, Meals on Wheels programs serve over 22 million meals to more than 245,500 seniors each year through home-delivery and congregate nutrition services. Not only do they deliver healthy meals, Meals on Wheels volunteers also provide important social interaction for seniors living alone, improving their quality of life. This legislation would ease the burden on their many volunteers and allow them to serve more seniors in New York and across the country.

This legislation is also sponsored in the Senate by Senators King (I-ME) and Cornyn (R-TX).