Weekend Meals for Homebound Seniors

Meals on Wheels People continues to provide hot, nutritious meals to homebound seniors throughout the greater Portland-Vancouver metro area. Our recent client surveys have shown that a large number of homebound seniors rely on the meals we provide for the bulk of their nutrition each day. While our core service is hot meal delivery Monday through Friday, most of our 3,000 daily clients now receive two frozen meals each Friday. Those who are the most frail or have no ability to prepare a hot meal receive hot weekend meals.

We are expanding our weekend meal program to include the 2,000 seniors who dine each weekday at our 34 neigborhood centers. For the first time in our 44 years of service, client surveys indicate that seniors are motivated to come into the centers for the meal rather than the fellowship. This is a major shift. And, more than 50% of the diners are requesting take-home meals for the weekend. We are ramping up our production and seeking additional funding from foundations and corporations to cover the additional cost of weekend meals. 

Since 2002, Meals on Wheels People has been preparing for the onslaught of baby boomers. That day has come. Each day we add more seniors to our rolls and the majority of the new diners are between the ages of 60 and 69. This group of seniors is poorer and sicker than those we serve who are much older. Many baby boomers were unprepared financially for retirement and have chronic illnesses that prevent them from leaving their homes. We anticipate that these numbers will continue to grow as baby boomers retire in the coming decade. 

We received this letter just last week from a senior:

We wish to thank you for the beautiful Easter card and more so for the generosity of the good people who deliver the tasty and wonderful meals we enjoy. Thank you and God bless you!

We are very grateful to the Global Giving donors who allow us to continue to deliver hot meals and companionship to frail, homebound seniors in our community.