Chronic hunger has never been an issue in Ashley Case’s world.
John Rahiya has probably never worried about the ability to get his next meal.
They’re about to get a lesson in hunger — at least for 50 hours.
The two, both members of Meals on Wheels Atlanta's young professionals board, will participate in a hunger challenge to observe the 50th anniversary of the nonprofit as well as to raise awareness among other millennials about the issue of senior hunger. They will tweet about their experience, starting Sunday evening until Tuesday evening.
“My family is very close, and to imagine my own grandparents going hungry for any period of time is a disheartening thought,” said Case, 31, a global bottling demand manager at Coca-Cola. “Every person out there is somebody’s parent or grandparent, and we need to treat them that way.”
Rahiya, 30, who works in global strategies for AGCO Corp., grew up watching his mother and a family friend deliver meals to seniors.
He thinks his peers may have “heard of Meals on Wheels in passing, but they’ve never stopped to think about what it actually means. … They’re not thinking about the elderly community in Atlanta trying to stay independent, stay in their homes and have freedom in the long run.”
The Atlanta-based nonprofit provides meals and home repair services to seniors and the disabled. Meals on Wheels Atlanta, which serves more than 2,400 people annually through its various programs, receives funding from government agencies, special events and corporate and private donations.
The needs are great and it is projected to get worse.
In 2012, according to Feeding America, 5.3 million people over the age of 60 in the United States were food insecure, meaning they don't have access to sufficient, safe, nutritious food to maintain their health. Older adults who don't have access to sufficient and healthy foods are more likely to experience depression or have physical illnesses such as heart problems or diabetes.
The number of food insecure seniors is expected to rise by 50 percent when the youngest of the baby boomer generations reaches age 60 in 2025, according to Feeding America, a national network of food banks and an organization that addresses hunger in this nation.
At Meals on Wheels Atlanta, there are more than 300 people on the waiting list for meals and 315 on the list for home repairs.
Case and Rahiya say they will only drink water on the challenge.
“It’s terrible to think seniors in our community are going hungry,” said Kate Grinalds, senior director of development at Meals on Wheels Atlanta, who participated in a 50-hour challenge earlier this year.
While it will, hopefully, raise awareness of the plight of those without access to adequate food, “I think by fasting for 50 hours, we can’t assume we know what it’s supposed to be like to be food insecure.”
Follow Case and Rahiya on Twitter as they go on the hunger challenge: @rahiyaj and @ashleylcase.
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