Tivity Health, n4a and NANASP Partner to Provide Senior Nutrition During COVID-19 Crisis
Nashville, TN—Tivity Health® (Nasdaq: TVTY), a leading provider of nutrition, fitness and social engagement solutions, has partnered with the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (n4a) and the National Association of Nutrition and Aging Services Programs (NANASP) to help meet the increasing demand for healthy, frozen and shelf-stable meals for seniors during the COVID-19 crisis.
Both n4a and NANASP members are part of a national network of aging organizations that provides vital senior nutrition services, including more than 15,000 programs that serve meals to more than 11 million seniors annually through both congregate and home-delivered options.
To support n4a and NANASP coordination of efficient food delivery to seniors throughout the U.S., Tivity Health is providing access to a wide range of bundled meal options from its Nutrisystem® and South Beach Diet® menus to n4a and NANASP members. n4a and NANASP will promote this service to its members, and Tivity Health will expedite delivery to agencies serving food insecure older adults around the country.
“At Tivity Health, we have the infrastructure, scale and supply to support senior nutrition needs, including increased demands from the homebound seniors most vulnerable to the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Robert J. Greczyn, Jr., Interim Chief Executive Officer of Tivity Health. “We commend n4a and NANASP for this initiative and for a partnership that will allow us to together quickly supply community agencies with food for the seniors who depend on them.”
During the COVID-19 crisis, these community agencies are seeking solutions for millions of seniors who cannot participate in congregate meal programs due to shelter-in-place restrictions or physical distancing measures. Under the Families First and the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Acts, emergency funding was made available to these agencies to meet the increased demand and ensure that meals are provided to greater numbers of seniors in need. This agreement makes Tivity Health a new resource for community agencies to source the food they need for their seniors during this challenging time.
“This initiative comes at a critical time when our members and their partners are concerned about not having enough meals to serve older adults in their communities,” said Bob Blancato, Executive Director of NANASP. “These meals will meet a critical need for older adults, who are especially vulnerable to additional challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Already, the partnership has assisted the Valley Area Agency on Aging in Flint, MI, by providing 5,000 meals for seniors.
“Area Agencies on Aging have always prioritized the nutritional needs of the older adults they serve,” said Sandy Markwood, Chief Executive Officer of n4a. “Now that they are serving much larger numbers of older adults with home-delivered meals due to the COVID-19 crisis, they need access to additional vendors and partners to meet the need. We welcome Tivity Health’s entry into this effort and look forward to working collectively across the Aging Network to rise to the challenge that COVID-19 presents for older adults.”
Nutrisystem offers more than 160 nutritionally balanced, fully prepped menu choices, while South Beach Diet offers low carb, high protein meals and snacks.