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MEALS OF LOVE CONNECTS ISOLATED SENIORS AND DISABLED ADULTS WITH MEAL DELIVERY FROM LOCAL RESTAURANTS

Partnership Infuses Working Capital into Restaurants While Supporting Seniors and Disabled Adults Isolated Amid COVID-19 Pandemic

ORLANDO, Fla. (April 7, 2020) – This month, as older adults face challenging times, up to 1,000 fresh, restaurant-prepared meals will be safely delivered to the homes of seniors and disabled adults thanks to Meals of Love. Infusing working capital into restaurants while supporting those most vulnerable to COVID-19 – created in direct response to the pandemic – is a new partnership among the Florida Department of Elder Affairs, Senior Resource Alliance, the Department of Business and Professional Regulation, and the Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association. “Now, more than ever, we need to take care of each other,” said Karla Radka, President and CEO of the Senior Resource Alliance. “Meals of Love benefits our beloved elderly and disabled adult population, complementing the incredible year-round service provided by our agency partners, while providing an economic opportunity for the hard-hit restaurant industry.” Meals of Love will serve Orange, Seminole, Brevard and Osceola counties in partnership with the following agencies:

• Alzheimer’s & Dementia Resource Center • Aging Matters in Brevard • Brevard Alzheimer’s Foundation • Informed Families • Legal Aid Society of the Orange County Bar Association, Inc. • Meals on Wheels, Etc. • Seniors First • Share the Care • Osceola Council on Aging

In addition to supporting seniors and disabled adults, as well as providing opportunities for restaurants, Meals of Love is also creating new job opportunities for those in need in the community with the meal delivery roles.

“Service is at the heart of what we do every day in the restaurant industry, and Meals of Love is a way for us to serve the community during an especially difficult time,” said Keri Burns, Regional Director at Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association. Meals of Love is currently accepting applications for seniors and disabled adults who are interested in meal delivery and restaurants that would like to prepare meals. For more information visit mealsoflove.org. About Senior Resource Alliance Serving the community since 1995, The Senior Resource Alliance (SRA) is the Area Agency on Aging of Central Florida, which covers Brevard, Orange, Osceola, and Seminole Counties. The agency is the local resource for accessing the many services and programs of the state and federal government available to senior citizens, their caregivers and family members. SRA is also an objective clearinghouse for information and services offered by local, state and national organizations. For more information, visit SeniorResourceAlliance.org.

About Meals of Love Up to 1,000 meals will be delivered to Central Florida seniors, disabled adults ages and anyone in a household under senior responsibility across four counties. Recipients will receive fresh, restaurant-prepared meals safely delivered to their homes thanks to Meals of Love. The initiative brings together agencies, restaurants and organizations in Central Florida to support our local restaurant industry and take care of those most vulnerable to the virus. The program is also creating new job opportunities in the community with meal delivery roles. Meals of Love is currently accepting applications for seniors and disabled adults who are interested in meal delivery and restaurants that would like to prepare meals. For more information, visit mealsoflove.org. How it Works Participating restaurants will prepare fresh meals to be delivered to seniors and disabled adults in need. Meals will be picked up from the restaurants and dropped off to recipients’ homes through contactless delivery to ensure safety. Agencies Involved

• Senior Resource Alliance (SRA) is the local resource for accessing programs the state and federal government have made available to senior citizens. SRA will spearhead efforts for meal deliveries to seniors and disabled adults’ homes. Meals of Love will serve Orange, Seminole, Brevard and Osceola counties in partnership with the following agencies:

o Alzheimer’s & Dementia Resource Center

o Aging Matters in Brevard o Brevard Alzheimer’s Foundation o Informed Families

o Legal Aid Society of the Orange County Bar Association, Inc.

o Meals on Wheels, Etc. o Seniors First o Share the Care o Osceola Council on Aging

• The Department of Elder Affairs (DOEA) works through local providers to deliver

essential services to seniors. The DOEA has called upon Senior Resource Alliance to lead meal delivery efforts to the elderly in Central Florida.

• The Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association (FRLA) is comprised of hoteliers, restaurateurs, franchises, theme parks and suppliers. The FRLA’s efforts have prompted Central Florida’s restaurants to prepare meals for seniors and disabled adults.

• The Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) facilitated food establishments to become emergency meal vendors for the elderly and disabled adults in response to the national health crisis.

we deliver food & love!

How Meals of Love Works

orange

brevard

seminole

osceola

Meals of Love was created in direct response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Agencies and restaurants joined forces in Central Florida to take care of seniors, disabled adults aged 18 to 59 and anyone in a household under senior responsibility while supporting the restaurant industry.

Restaurants prepare meals in their kitchens, providing economic opportunity for the hard-hit restaurant industry.

Meals of Love will create new job opportunities in the community with meal delivery roles.

Up to 1,000 restaurant-prepared meals will be delivered safely to seniors and disabled adults’ homes across Orange, Seminole, Brevard and Osceola counties.

Happy seniors and disabled adults enjoy freshly prepared restaurant meals in the comfort of their own homes!

FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT MEALSOFLOVE.ORG.