Mayor proclaims March 2025 Senior Nutrition Month; Area Agency on Aging outlines meal services

Coeur d'Alene — Mayor Woody Evans proclaimed March 2025 as Senior Nutrition Month during the March 4 City Council meeting and invited Sage Stoddard, director of the Area Agency on Aging of North Idaho (AAA, part of North Idaho College), to present on local senior nutrition services.

Stoddard described the AAA's role in the nationwide aging network established under the Older Americans Act and summarized nutrition services available across five northern Idaho counties, including home-delivered meals and congregate meals served at 13 local senior centers. The proclamation recited 2024 figures: 54,658 congregate meals served to 2,122 participants and 73,413 home-delivered meals served to 4,648 participants across the region; Stoddard said local centers such as Lake City Center also provided thousands of meals in a single fiscal year.

Stoddard said the nutrition programs partially funded by AAA help address food insecurity and social isolation by providing meals, nutrition screening and opportunities for social engagement. "We are part of a nationwide aging network created through the Older Americans Act," Stoddard said, describing the mission to help older adults remain independent and connected.

The mayor presented the proclamation to Sage Stoddard and to a representative of Lake City Center. Stoddard read recipient and volunteer testimonials included in her short presentation, such as: "We could not get by without the home delivered meals," and a volunteer comment, "I enjoy getting out and helping check on people." City leaders thanked volunteers and service providers and noted the long-standing presence of senior meal programs in the community.

What was not decided tonight: The presentation and proclamation were informational; no funding or programmatic decisions were made at the meeting.