Elm Court Center Meals

Our Elm Court Center, located in downtown Portland, serves some of our most vulnerable cliental. The seniors who dine at Elm Court are, for the most part, low-income. Some are mentally ill, others are homeless, all are hungry. While there are drop-in centers for teens, shelters for mothers with children and other gathering places for the young and healthy, there are few resources for the elderly. The Elm Court Center not only provides one hot and nutrtious meal every weekday, the center offers a place to get a cup of coffee, read the newspaper, watch a movie, work on a puzzle or just chat with others. For those who live in residence hotels or studio apartments, Elm Court Center is a haven from an otherwise solitary life.

Between Nov. 1, 2017 and Jan. 31, 2018, we served and delivered 21,910 meals to 643 older adults out of the Elm Court Center for a total cost of $161,915. During that time we also delivered 250 decorative holly plants to our homebound clients, donated by Teufel Holly Farms and the Bloom Project. And each homebound client also received a gift box of tuna, whole fruit, tea, candy and other goodies donated by our vendors. For many, these two items were their only holiday gifts. One of our recipients sent us this note:

"I want to take a moment to that you all at Meals on Wheels People for the most generous gift at Christmas along with the holly plant. I live alone and have been ill this winter and these gifts meant so much. Thank you for being my 'Santa' and best wishes to you in the New Year."