Elm Court Center Meals

We are now into the second year of the global pandemic and Meals on Wheels People continues to meet the social and nutritional needs of older adults served by the Elm Court Center in downtown Portland. Between Jan. 1 and Apr. 12, 2021, we delivered 40,627 nutritious meals to homebound elderly in downtown Portland. This represents a 49% increase in meals served over the same time period one year ago. For the majority of those we serve, the meals we bring them are their only food of the day. Since March of last year, we have been delivering seven meals weekly rather than a single meal five days a week. Additionally, we have also been delivering supplemental food boxes each week. The contents of the boxes vary, but include nutrient-rich items such as cottage cheese, hard-boiled eggs, peanut butter and sweet potatoes along with loaves of bread and quarts of milk. For seniors who have been avoiding going out in public due to the pandemic, these food boxes have often meant the difference between going hungry or not. 

We are continuing the Friendly Chat program where volunteers call homebound seniors for a friendly conversation once or twice a week. We have also established a Peer-to-Peer Connect program where six to eight participants are connected weekly through a conference call to have conversations around a central theme. These have included "Where Were You When?", "Current Events", "Gratitude" and a book club. 

Now that vaccines are generally available and the majority of those we serve have access to them, we are looking ahead to the fall and the possiblity of once again reopening the Elm Court Center to in-person dining. A lot will depend on the general environment of Multnomah County and if restaurants and other public places are open. We are hopeful that we may be able to intially open one day per week for diners and then make a decision on how often to be open. 

Thanks to the generosity of GlobalGiving donors, we are able to provide meals to every older adult who requests them without instituting a waiting list. We are grateful for your support of senior nutrition in our community.