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What if the wait for your next Uber ride was one month? Or you were on hold for 72 hours? Meals on Wheels America’s national initiative, “End the Wait,” asks us to picture those delays and connect them to the very real barriers older adults face when trying to access nutritious meals and a sense of community.

For this powerful effort, Meals on Wheels America and Public, Inc. received the first-ever Empowerment Award at the 5th Annual Anthem Awards.

The Empowerment Award is a Special Achievement honor from the Anthem Awards, created in partnership with AARP, to spotlight groundbreaking work advancing the lives of the 50+ community. We’re proud to present the inaugural Winner, which created a national campaign that brings urgent attention to the hunger crisis facing older Americans.

More than 12 million older adults in the United States experience food insecurity, and 31 percent report feeling lonely.

Meals on Wheels America addresses both challenges through its network of community-based programs. With regular meal drop-offs and resources that support well-being, the organization creates daily opportunities for older adults to stay nourished and connected.

But across the country, demand for support has increased while resources have not kept pace. The Meals on Wheels network consists of thousands of local programs. Yet 1 in 3 providers now has a waitlist. In many communities, the average wait ranges from four months to two years.

Launched in 2024, “End the Wait” is a special program that encourages action to address the long waitlists older adults often face when seeking meals and moments of connection.

“We both knew that we needed to do something different. The traditional ways of talking about senior hunger and isolation were just not breaking through,” said Kristine Templin, Chief Development and Marketing Officer at Meals on Wheels America. “We worked with Public, who helped us reimagine how to tell that story in a very human, relatable way.”

The campaign, developed in partnership with social impact agency Public Inc., captures the spirit of the Empowerment Award. It shines a national spotlight on a growing crisis at a time when federal funding is declining, and the senior population continues to rise.

“How important is it that we’re talking about nutrition in the community at this time. We’ve been reminded how important nutrition and food are,” noted Edna Kane-Williams, Executive Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer at AARP. “And that there are people who live in scarcity every day, who live in food deserts.”

Amid this rising need, the initiative reframed the national conversation about senior hunger and social isolation. Through storytelling and a strong visual approach, it brought new visibility to the emotional and physical toll of waiting and to the transformation that comes with support.

Meals on Wheels America is paving the way to name these challenges and advance better systems for older adults.

“‘End the Wait’ is not just about waitlists,” said Phil Haid, Founder and CEO of Public Inc. “It’s about, ‘Older adults should not wait any longer to show that we care about them.’ Because we have a crisis in this country.”

The award-winning campaign is building on earlier work between Public Inc. and Meals on Wheels America. Their earlier initiative, “The Power of a Knock,” centered on the meaningful impact a single visit can have on a vulnerable senior.

As their collaboration evolved into this award-winning national campaign, trust and shared purpose helped guide every stage.

“We were able to move at the speed of trust,” said Haid. “We were able to try things and developed a bunch of ideas, but landed on this idea that seniors are tired of waiting for people to show up and that they care.”

The decision to center this single urgent issue resulted in a narrative-driven project that resonates deeply. It brings together Meals on Wheels America’s on-the-ground impact with Public’s strength in crafting compelling social impact campaigns.

“End the Wait” raises awareness of the human toll of waiting and the transformational change that begins the moment support arrives. The Anthem Awards are honored to recognize this campaign with the inaugural Empowerment Award, sponsored by AARP.

MEET THE 5TH ANNUAL ANTHEM WINNERS IN THE WINNERS GALLERY! 

Take a closer look at the initiatives creating change around the world. Winners include Sabrina Carpenter x PLUS1, Andrew Garfield and Sesame Workshop, Rare Beauty, Headspace, The Mel Robbins Podcast, Lush Cosmetics, World Central Kitchen, and more.