AARP Foundation Announces A Celebration of Service on September 11

5,000 volunteers will pack over one million meals on the National Mall For Area's Struggling Seniors

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Sep 02, 2015, 11:40 ET

WASHINGTON, Sept. 2, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- AARP Foundation presents the largest meal pack to be held on the National Mall on Friday, September 11^th. More than 5,000 volunteers will pack 1.2 million nutritious meals for struggling seniors, first responders as well as veterans. The event, in association with Chase, will take place near the WWII Memorial on the National Mall.

"More than 15,000 seniors in the greater Washington, DC region live in poverty, a terribly persistent and often invisible problem among older adults," said AARP Foundation President Lisa Marsh Ryerson. "A Celebration of Service, on this day of remembrance, is an opportunity to help uplift the lives of our neighbors by coming together in the spirit of volunteerism to tackle the challenges they face on a daily basis."

"Giving back to our national community is a core value across Chase and we are proud to be part of this celebration and continue to work together to raise awareness and make a meaningful impact on such an important issue," said Richard Quigley, president of Chase's partner card business. This event dovetails with Chase card services' efforts to raise money for AARP Foundation's hunger programs through cause-marketing campaigns by the AARP Credit Card from Chase program.

Fellow D.C. resident and co-host of ABC's The Chew, Carla Hall, will also join the celebration on Friday to help pack. "The basic need of putting food on the table is a daily struggle faced by too many older adults across our communities," said Hall. "I'm honored to participate with AARP Foundation and Chase on this day of service, and work alongside thousands of volunteers who are united in passion to come together to help feed those in need."

D.C. has one of the highest rates of seniors living in poverty, with 13.4 percent of all households in the area considered food insecure. The 1.2 million meals will be distributed to hungry and food insecure older adults across the D.C. metro area in collaboration with the Capital Area Food Bank. Volunteers are encouraged to participate and join members from the community, government, local universities, non-profits, and members of the armed services to pay tribute to the service commitment that is now such an important part of September 11^th.

To sign up to participate and learn more information visit: www.acelebrationofservice2015.org/
Follow us on Twitter @AARPCares #EndHunger

About AARP Foundation
AARP Foundation is working to win back opportunity for struggling Americans 50+ by being a force for change on the most serious issues they face today: housing, hunger, income and isolation. By coordinating responses to these issues on all four fronts at once, and supporting them with vigorous legal advocacy, the Foundation serves the unique needs of those 50+ while working with local organizations nationwide to reach more people and make resources go further. AARP Foundation is a charitable affiliate of AARP. Learn more at www.aarpfoundation.org.

About Chase
Chase is the U.S. consumer and commercial banking business of JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE: JPM), a leading global financial services firm with assets of $2.4 trillion and operations worldwide. Chase serves nearly half of America's households with a broad range of financial services, including personal banking, credit cards, mortgages, auto financing, investment advice, small business loans and payment processing. Customers can choose how and where they want to bank: 5,500 branches, 18,000 ATMs, mobile, online and by phone. For more information, go to Chase.com.

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SOURCE AARP Foundation