Community Interest
CHANGEMAKER: Meals on Wheels of Lancaster
The volunteers and staff at Meals on Wheels of Lancaster establish social relationships while fulfilling their daily mission.
Q: What is important about serving the community through a food-based mission?
A: After air and water, nothing is more important to survival than food. We want to be more than a place that keeps someone from being hungry; we aim to provide the highest quality meal option available to someone who is no longer able to prepare their own meals.
Q: Personally, what is rewarding about serving others in this way?
A: To have purpose in life is the most precious feeling one can have. Last year, we had nearly 500 volunteers give more than 19,000 hours of service over 140,000 miles to deliver 170,000 meals. Each meal was delivered with a friendly smile and a caring interaction. You cannot really quantify the extent of the impact those interactions make but the feeling of purpose and importance doesn’t need metrics!
Q: What is an impactful number you could share (i.e. meals served) with us?
A: Our 2018 client survey helped us see our impact with 91% of recipients saying our service is their main source of nutrition each day. 86% report receiving meals on wheels improved their nutrition.
Q: What’s on the horizon?
A: This late spring we move into a new location allowing for greater support to recipients including SNAP benefits, expanded menu options, and deepening supports through new programs like our visitation program “The Social Call.” Look out for more volunteer opportunities and social events!
Building connections: The volunteers and staff at Meals on Wheels of Lancaster establish social relationships while fulfilling their daily mission of supporting aging and independence by delivering nutritious, freshly prepared meals free of charge or at a reasonable cost to those who cannot reasonably provide meals for themselves.
