DESCRIPTION:

Meals on Wheel of Central Maryland (MOWCM) offers critical nutrition and support services to homebound aging and disabled adults to support independence, health and successful aging for our most vulnerable neighbors.   This presentation will discuss  systemic factors that affect vulnerable older adults especially with regard to food insecurity, how MOWCMs programs work to advance health equity and policy level changes needed to help advance this cause moving forward.

 LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

1. Learn about programs that will advance health equity

2. Discuss systematic factors that affect vulnerable older adults with regard to food insecurity

3. Identify policy level changes that can help advance this cause moving forward

PRESENTERS:

Stephanie Archer-Smith, Executive Director for Meals on Wheels of Central Maryland,  is a seasoned professional with 38 years of experience working with vulnerable populations throughout the life cycle in private, public and not-for-profit human service organizations.  Throughout her career, Stephanie has blended strategic thought leadership, business acumen and interpersonal skills, to further organization vision, growth and effectiveness.   Since coming to Meals on Wheels of Central Maryland 12 years ago, Stephanie has established innovative and groundbreaking programs to better serve seniors aging in place and support health equity, establishing partnerships in the healthcare community, and integrating technology into service delivery.   Most recently, Stephanie led MOWCM’s covid response, tripling the number of meals and aging adults served.

Margo Coruzzi, Senior Director of More Than a Meal Services for Meals on Wheels of Central Maryland has been with Meals on Wheels since 2015. She has over 15 years’ experience working in the non-profit field in Maryland. Her work at Meals in Wheels looks at the entire client population based on the Social Determinants of Health and determines which support and additional services will assist our most at risk clients in remaining safe and independent in their homes. She has used assessments, surveys, and data analysis to help develop and implement programs with outcomes in social isolation reduction, improving home safety, and enhancing health equity.