Elm Court Center Meals

As our cities and neighborhoods slowly reopen – and while keeping COVID-19 safety protocols such as masking and social distancing in place – Meals on Wheels People is meeting the evolving needs of the community members we serve, particularly in high-need neighborhoods such as Elm Court center. We are focusing on:

• High-quality, heart-healthy meals and supplemental nutrition for those who are homebound
• Social programs like Friendly Chats, Wellness Checks and Peer Connections to address isolation and lonelines
• Fresh, healthy and tasty meals for community gatherings and social connection
• Enhanced, more culturally-responsive and inclusive services for our diverse participants

Congregate dining locations have been gradually reopening since May 2. We are also pursuing partnerships to provide nutrition in new community spaces; we want to serve individuals where they are in order to address concerning barriers to good health. Between July 1^st, 2021 and June 30^th, 2022 we served 101,759 fresh and nutritious meals to hundreds of vulnerable, homebound or houseless seniors, in addition to providing nutrient-rich supplemental food (such as hard-boiled eggs, Greek yogurt, peanut butter and local vegetables) so older adults in the Elm Court service area would stay well-fed between meals. Here’s what recent participants had to say about our meal services:

• “These are very nice people who try their best to feed everybody and make everybody happy. I am grateful for their help at Elm Court.”
• “Meals on Wheels at Elm Court offer wonderful gourmet lunches and wonderfully caring staff and volunteers. Thank you for your efforts!”
• “I love the meals here – there’s good food and lots of it for those of us who otherwise wouldn’t get a good square meal every day! God bless!”

Volunteers are the heart and soul of the services provided at Meals on Wheels People. We are so grateful for the compassionate assistance provided by our 5,000+ volunteer corps, who help prepare and deliver meals, conduct Friendly Chats and Wellness Check calls to isolated and/or homebound seniors, and provide “handyman” services as part of our Safe Homes for Seniors program. Last fiscal year, volunteers dedicated 9,151 hours to supportive activities at Elm Court center. As one Elm Court volunteer noted, “Having the interaction with the clients who are always so appreciative, and with other volunteers who are so committed to the community is what I enjoy the most. Over the years there have been some great MOWP people I have met and now I would really miss not being part of the MOWP volunteer family at Elm Court.”