Meals on Wheels by ACC

Meals on Wheels by ACC (MoW) programs serve about 2,000 seniors a day through our Home-Delivered Meal Program (HDM), Congregate Nutrition Program, and Emergency Meal Program.MoW adapted its services for the health and safety of participants, staff, and volunteers during the COVID-19 pandemic. MoW still successfully provided meals to thousands of vulnerable seniors. Under normal circumstances, MoW serves lunch five days a week, free of charge, to approximately 625 participants ages 60 and over at its 20 Congregate Nutrition sites throughout Sacramento County. With all the lunch sites closed during the pandemic, MoW started delivering meals to all participants' homes. As COVID cases decreased, we continued 13 curbside meal pick-up sites, and began to reopen our Congregate sites that were willing. By June 30th, we had sunsetted the curbsides and reopened 11 of our Congregate Sites. The HDM Program's new safety measures included placing meals at participants' doorsteps and MoW volunteers checking with participants by phone to provide wellness checks. The HDM Program continued serving meals five days a week to over 1,400 frail and homebound seniors. HDM volunteers and staff modified meal delivery methods to prevent the spread of COVID-19. For example, team members used personal protective equipment (e.g., N-95 masks, surgical masks, gloves, and hand sanitizer) and adhered to social distancing guidelines by placing meals on tables or chairs of participants instead of entering the home. As COVID cases decreased, we relaxed our procedures and began re-entering the homes of our most needy participants to help them put their food away as we did pre-COVID. The services we provide at MoW are critical to ensuring local seniors can remain at home rather than moving to nursing homes or assisted living facilities. And during this frightening and challenging time, a visit from MoW can make all of the difference to a vulnerable senior alone at home, separated from friends and family. The following was accomplished during the 2022-23 fiscal year (7/1/22- 6/30/2023):A. MoW served 4,044 unduplicated seniors and delivered 491,592 meals to congregate and home-delivered meal participants.B. Approximately 240 volunteers contributed over 2,700 hours of volunteer service to the home-delivered meal program and the congregate meal program.C. 62% percent of HDM Program participants served were aged 75 or older, and 52% percent of Congregate Nutrition Participants were 75 or older.D. MoW continued its Dishes service, partnering with local restaurants and food truck vendors to offer meals for pick-up and dine-in (while following COVID-19 safety guidelines). Dishes allows MoW more flexibility in meal selection (for example, we have Filipino-inspired meals and Asian-Fusion meals at two locations) and to reach underserved and under-resourced communities with the food trucks and restaurant partners.E. The congregate meal program pivoted from 13 curbside pickup meal locations to re-opening and safely operating 11 of our former congregate nutrition sites throughout Sacramento County. F. MoW provided culturally responsive meals to Japanese/ Asian Pacific Islander (API) older adults at a curbside pick-up site in Sacramento to improve meal/ program satisfaction and attract younger older adults of Japanese/ API ancestry.G. MoW delivered its 6.7 millionth meal.H. MoW collected and distributed roughly 2,500 new gloves, scarves, lap blankets, and socks to homebound seniors during the holiday season. I. 60% of the participants that MoW enrolled in the program were classified as "nutritionally at-risk," meaning they face challenges and barriers in receiving adequate nutrition daily. J. 89.4% of MoW participants report that the meals that they receive improve their nutrition. K. 96.7% report that MoW's meals help them more fully enjoy their daily lives and live in their own home safely.L. MoW's AniMeals program delivers pet food for more than 500 dogs and cats owned by our participants. In addition, a partnership with Whisker Warriors nonprofit brings pet food donations regularly.