Meals on Wheels America is the leadership organization supporting the more than 5,000 community-based programs across the country that are dedicated to addressing senior isolation and hunger. Powered by a dedicated volunteer workforce, this network delivers the nutritious meals, friendly visits and safety checks that enable America’s seniors to live nourished lives with independence and dignity. By providing funding, leadership, education, research and advocacy support, Meals on Wheels America empowers its local member programs to strengthen their communities, one senior at a time.

The Need – Senior hunger is an escalating issue in the United States. Our Nation’s senior population is growing and changing rapidly. 1 in 4 Americans is 60+ with 12,000 more turning 60 every day. Older Americans of color will continue to make up an increasingly larger portion of this population. And older Americans are living longer with less money. 1 in 2 Seniors living alone lacks the income to pay for basic needs. To address this issue, Meals on Wheels organization prepares meals and delivers them to the needy daily. It serves about 2.8 million seniors annually and delivers about 247 million meals.

The service – Every week on Saturday, we collect meal boxes from the central kitchen, distribute these in the designated routes. Each route serves about 10 to 12 houses. We maintain a roster of volunteers. Based on the volunteers’ preferences of availability, we assign them a route. On the designated day, volunteers drive to the central kitchen, pick up meal packets and deliver to the houses on the designated route.

Interesting fact – This is a kid friendly service. As a family, you can experience the joy of seeing happiness in the eyes of the recipients when you deliver meals.