Meals on Wheels of Greenville engages community to “Disconnect to Connect” on March 30

Participants pledge to stay off social media and smart devices for 24 hours
GREENVILLE, S.C. – March 26, 2019 – Meals on Wheels of Greenville is launching the “Disconnect to Connect” campaign aimed to better educate the community about the loneliness our homebound neighbors experience daily. Participants take a pledge to turn off their phone and smart devices and “disconnect” from social media for 24 hours on Saturday, March 30, 2019. If they can’t make it 24 hours, participants are asked to donate $1 for every hour they can’t stay disconnected.
“Every day, our volunteers experience the weight of loneliness from the homebound neighbors we serve. We realize that, too often, we’re the only interaction that person may get in a given day. It reminds us that our mission is so much more than meals,” says Catriona Carlisle, Executive Director of Meals on Wheels of Greenville. “The Disconnect to Connect campaign is a very simple way to make us take that vital step back and appreciate our loved ones, while also embracing that human interaction is incredibly powerful. Nobody should be forced to be alone all the time. We can do better.”

Just in Greenville County, there are nearly 30,000 seniors living alone, making them vulnerable to an increased risk of loneliness. This can impact emotional and physical health and contribute to cognitive decline. Couple this with the rising cost of healthcare, loss of mobility, and the potential for hunger and malnutrition, and it becomes clear that this is an issue in our community – and our nation – that cannot be ignored. Meals on Wheels of Greenville serves nutritious meals, personal interaction and independence to some of this population, but with awareness and support, more can be done.

“My family and I have been delivering meals for nearly a decade and, in that time, have found tremendous blessings and gained invaluable wisdom from those we’ve gotten to know on our route,” said Meals on Wheels of Greenville volunteer, Mary Anne McLendon. “It was an easy choice for us to take this pledge as a continued commitment to our community’s seniors and homebound. We’re fighting hunger every day, but we’re also fighting loneliness—and this is just one small thing you can do to help. Join us and help us show our friends and neighbors they aren’t alone.”

Here’s how to help:

1. TAKE THE PLEDGE to “Disconnect to Connect” by clicking HERE. If you can’t make it 24 hours, donate $1 for every hour you can’t stay disconnected.

2. SHARE that you’ve taken the pledge on social media and encourage others to join you. You can do this any way you want, but you’re encouraged to use the “I took the pledge” graphics provided by Meals on Wheels of Greenville.

3. DISCONNECT on Saturday, March 30th for 24 hours.

4. GET INVOLVED with Meals on Wheels of Greenville County. Be one of the army of volunteers dedicated to providing meals, support and a friendly face to the home bound.

ABOUT MEALS ON WHEELS OF GREENVILLE
Meals on Wheels enhances the quality of life of homebound individuals and seniors by providing nutritious meals, personal interaction and independence. Each day, caring volunteers deliver nearly 1,500 hot, nutritious meals to homebound individuals throughout Greenville County. In 2018, Meals on Wheels celebrated 50 years of delivering hope to the community and 12 million meals delivered. Meals on Wheels is a proud partner of United Way of Greenville County. For more information call 864-233-6565 or visit www.MealsonWheelsGreenville.org.

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