Providing food and friendship to older adults in Arizona

At the Ellie Towns Flowing Wells Community Center in Tucson, Arizona, you’ll likely find older adults enjoying a wide range of activities — from crafts and games to exercise classes and technology training. It’s where you’ll also see residents sharing a healthy meal over lively conversation, a critically essential opportunity for social connection and nutrition.

This can be especially important considering approximately 16% of people in their county experience food insecurity.¹

“We know that food insecurity affects over 170,000 older adults in Arizona, which means community-based meal programs are an important local resource,” said Jean Kalbacher, CEO of UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Arizona.

When the Flowing Wells Senior Meal Project — which serves meals three times a week for what it calls “Plate Full of Care” — looked like it was coming to an end, there was cause for concern.

To help keep the meals coming, UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Arizona made an investment of $45,000 to provide nutritious meals through 2027.

“We’re always looking for opportunities to support the needs of our local community. We learned about this opportunity through social media, and we knew we wanted to help,” said Jesse Sosa, community development manager at UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Arizona. 

Programs such as Plate Full of Care help address critical social determinants of health, non-medical factors that impact quality of life, such as food insecurity and social isolation.² By offering nutritious meals in a community-based setting, the program gives older adults regular access to healthy food while connecting them to others.

Older adults who experience food insecurity may face more negative health outcomes, including risk of chronic conditions and cognitive decline, as well as feelings of anxiety or shame.³ These risks underscore the importance of finding solutions that can help improve reliable access to food and social connection.

The investment will cover meals for 50 older adults, three days a week.

“Health is influenced by more than medical care alone. Access to nutritious food, social connection and community support all play a critical role in overall well-being,” Jean said. “We’re privileged to play a part in helping older adults stay healthy, connected and engaged in their communities.”