The Middle Alabama Area Agency on Aging (M4A) held its first fundraising event on Thursday, May 11 to help end senior hunger in St. Clair County. The barbeque, held at the Pell City Center for Education and Performing Arts (CEPA), raised over $12,000 to provide meals to home-bound seniors citizens. 

M4A currently serves meals to over 1700 individuals throughout  Blount, Chilton, Shelby, St. Clair, and Walker Counties, but there are still more than 1000 people on the waiting lists, 350 in St. Clair County alone.

According to Laura King, M4A nutrition and transportation supervisor who helped organized the event, $1000 will provide meals for one senior for a year. While funds have not been cut for senior programs, specifically those like Meals on Wheels, funds have not increased although the senior population has. 

Every day 10,000 people reach the age of 65, making senior citizens the fastest growing population segment in the United States. Currently, citizens over the age of 65 account for 18 percent of the population, and that number is projected to increase to 26 percent by 2050.

With the increase in population and advances in medical science that have extended the average life expectancy to 78.7 years, the need for additional senior services and assistance has also increased. The Middle Alabama Area Agency on Aging (M4A) has made it their mission to assist in that role.

M4A specializes in serving older adults, individuals with disabilities, and their caregivers. M4A offers assistance with transportation, meals, crisis intervention, in-home services, senior employment, elder abuse prevention, prescription drug assistance, legal assistance, and Medicare and Medicaid counseling, as well as other services. 

The group recently conducted town hall meetings throughout the counties they serve to receive feedback from the community on which areas seniors and those with disabilities need the most assistance. In St. Clair County, those areas included transportation assistance, home repair, meal assistance, home cleaning services, help paying utility bills, and social activities. 

May is also Older American’s Month and M4A will be celebrating with several senior picnics. The St. Clair County Senior Picnic will be held on Thursday, May 25 from 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. at Springville Park, 75 Old Springville Road, Springville. They will offer free food and music to area seniors. They also plan to organize additional fundraising events in other counties that they service. 

For more information on upcoming events, to volunteer, or donate, visit www.m4a.org or contact (866) 570-2998.