Meals on Wheels of Tampa

Homebound Meal Delivery: Meals On Wheels of Tampa's (MOWT) mission is "to nourish, enrich and strengthen the lives of seniors (62 and older) and individuals who have difficulty leaving their homes and are challenged to prepare meals". The delivery of daily hot meals by caring and trusted volunteers gives seniors and homebound citizens the opportunity to age in place with consistent balanced nutrition, dignity, safety, and independence. Serving approximately 1,000 neighbors per day, 330,065 meals were delivered during fiscal year 2023 to over 1,458 unduplicated neighbors. All meals are produced daily by professional staff in the MOWT commercial kitchen. We offer 3 menus to select: Heart Healthy, Diabetic Friendly, and Renal Friendly. MOWT is meeting the specific dietary needs of the fastest growing segment of the community, our seniors, many of whom require healthy food delivered to their doorstep, at an affordable price, to age in place. At no extra charge, recipients also receive once a month delivery of fresh produce, an Annual Hurricane Pack, a Holiday Gift Bag, and birthday cake to assure they are not forgotten and are well supported. MOWT requests a contribution from recipients for the service. 87% of the neighbors we serve are on a private pay plan, the others 13% have insurance coverage which provides the meals. Of those on private pay, only 12% can the full cost of their meals. No one is ever turned away from service due to an inability to pay for their meals. As a privately funded organization, community contributions and earned income from MOWT's social enterprise address this funding gap.

Strengthening the Community: By joining together with the board of directors, corporate supporters, foundations, individuals, and civic and faith groups, together we strengthen the community through service and care of those citizens who are often forgotten simply because we do not see them in need as they live behind closed doors where they wait for help. Yet, their health and well-being are significant. Not only because they deserve support but also because of the mounting expense of seniors' health care. This exploding segment of our society and the increasing cost of their medical needs demands we take every possible action to proactively ensure better health outcomes as seniors age. Good nutrition and daily social contact promote better aging results. The cost of a full year of meals ($2,008) is less than the cost of one night in a hospital, one visit to an ER, or 10 days in an assisted living facility. With aging Baby Boomers as the fastest growing segment of our population, the work of MOWT has never been more essential and impactful.

Social Connection: Research affirms what we have known anecdotally for years. Social connection is effective in making a profound difference in the lives of older adults and homebound citizens. A daily knock on the door from a MOWT volunteer bringing a hot meal, offering encouraging words and a vital safety check on isolated neighbors, is a crucial ingredient in the powerful impact of this mission. Volunteers are the heart and soul of MOWT. The volunteer is often the only person the recipient will talk to during the day. 634 volunteers gave their time, vehicles, fuel, and their hearts, to improve the lives, outlook, and well-being of recipients in FY 2023. Their gift of service allows us to deliver at an affordable price and provides the crucial social connection that means the world to adults isolated by age and/or health restrictions. The on-going recruitment of volunteers is essential to meet the growing demand of the mission.