MidAmerican Energy Awards Grant to Heritage AAA

A representative from MidAmerican Energy poses for a photo with members of Heritage staff in front of a wall decorated with framed awards. Wim Murray of MidAmerican Energy is handing the grant award to Barbara Werning, Executive Director at Heritage.

Wim Murry, Business Account Manager at MidAmerican Energy, stopped by the Heritage office earlier this week to meet the team and deliver the grant award. Pictured from left to right: Tim Getty, Regional Nutrition Coordinator; Wim Murray; Barbara Werning, Executive Director; Jenn Knudtson, Fiscal Director.

MidAmerican Energy recently awarded a $22,000 grant to Heritage Area Agency on Aging to provide meals, nutrition counseling and access to other supports to underserved seniors in Cedar Rapids.

The funds will support Encore Express, a nutrition program that supplies older adults with vouchers redeemable for HyVee meals and connects them with nutrition counseling to address their specific health and dietary concerns. Encore Express also helps open the door to other Heritage AAA programs that help seniors age with dignity and independence in the home they choose.

“We started with around 50 meals each month in the Encore Express program and have grown to more than 500 in the year-and-a-half since. While it’s great to see that we’re serving a really big need, it can be challenging to meet that kind of demand,” said Barbara Werning, Executive Director at Heritage AAA. “This grant from MidAmerican Energy will be tremendous in helping us serve those consumers not only great meals, but the peace of mind that comes with lessened food insecurity and supportive services to age in their homes.”

Encore Express serves adults ages 60+ in the downtown Cedar Rapids neighborhoods of Mound View, Wellington Heights and Oakhill Jackson. These areas were identified as having high rates of nutritional risk among older adult residents, but relatively low participation in older adult nutrition services.

More than 70% of participants to date have been those at high nutritional risk, underscoring the importance of targeting helpful programs toward those who need it most.

Heritage AAA is grateful to MidAmerican Energy for its support of Encore Express. To learn more about our nutrition programs for older adults, click here.

Harrison March