<P> Established in 1974, the oldest and largest national organization is Meals on Wheels America, which supports more than 5,000 community - based senior nutrition organizations across the country . By providing funding, leadership, education and advocacy support, Meals on Wheels America empowers its local member programmes to provide services to their communities . With local programmes, they galvanize the resources of local community organizations, businesses, donors, sponsors and more than two million volunteers--bolstered by supplemental funding from the Older Americans Act--into a national safety net for seniors . </P> <P> Currently, they are located in Arlington, Virginia, and headed by President and CEO Ellie Hollander . </P> <P> The first home - delivered meal program in the United States began in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in January 1954 . At the request of the Philadelphia Health & Welfare Council, and funded by a grant from the Henrietta Tower Wurtz Foundation, Margaret Moffat Toy, a social worker in Philadelphia's Lighthouse Community Center, pioneered a program to provide nourishment that met the dietary needs of homebound seniors and other "shut - ins" in the area who otherwise would have to go hungry . As is the case today, many participants were people who did not require hospitalization, but who simply needed a helping hand in order to maintain their independence . Most of the volunteers were high school students, who were dubbed "Platter Angels ." The "Platter Angels" would prepare, package, and deliver food to the elderly and disabled through their community . The daily delivery consisted of one nutritionally balanced hot meal to eat at lunch time, and a dinner consisting of a cold sandwich and milk along with varying side dishes . </P> <P> Margaret's legacy of fighting hunger continues today . Her collegiate sorority, Alpha Gamma Delta, officially partnered with Meals on Wheels in 2017 as part of their international philanthropic focus . </P>

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