About The MEAAA Foundation

The board of directors of the Mid-East Area Agency on Aging Foundation (formerly Gateway Elder Services) works to support Mid-East Area Agency on Aging programs for older adults.

The MEAAA Foundation, a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization, supplements the funding MEAAA gets from other sources, such as the federal and state governments, and allows MEAAA to expand programs such as home-delivered meals and free tax filing assistance to the growing senior population. Your donations to the MEAAA Foundation are tax-deductible, and its board is working hard planning fundraising events.

The MEAAA Foundation invites you to make a Tribute in honor of a family member, friend or loved one's memory or special occasion. We will print your Tribute in Aging Matters and send a note to the person you designate.

You may also establish a drawing fund with a suggested minimum of $50, then call the MEAAA Foundation each time you want to send a Tribute as a birthday greeting, wedding congratulations or for any other occasion. For each $10 minimum Tribute, the MEAAA Foundation will then send a note to the person you've honored.

Since 2001, the MEAAA Foundation's Supply Bank for Senior Independence has provided adult diapers and supplements such as Ensure and Boost to low-income seniors at no cost. Medicare, Medicaid and private insurance rarely cover these expensive items.

Also, no government program supplies these essential products to seniors without caregivers. The Supply Bank is the only resource for many older adults living alone.

"Too often, low-income seniors who can't afford adult diapers do without them," says Mary E. Schaefer, executive director of the MEAAA Foundation. "Many of them use inappropriate substitutes, such as rags or paper towels. As a result, they develop skin sores and bladder infections and become unable to live in their own homes. Some are forced to choose nursing home care. Others wind up in the hospital."

And for older adults who require a liquid diet or need to maintain a healthy weight after illness or surgery, liquid nutritional supplements such as Ensure or Boost become vital.

"We're grateful that these foundations have recognized this widespread unmet need," says Schaefer. "Their support will mean hundreds of seniors won't have to give up their treasured independence."

The MEAAA Foundation continues to seek other funding to help seniors live independently in their own homes. To find out how you can help, contact the MEAAA Foundation at 636-207-0847 or 1-800-AGE-6060.

The MEAAA Foundation is a 501(c)(3) foundation supporting the programs of Mid-East Area Agency on Aging, serving seniors in a four-county area. All contributions to the MEAAA Foundation are tax-deductible.

Mid-East Area Agency on Aging Foundation
14535 Manchester Road
Manchester, MO 63011

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