Meals on Wheels Plus of Manatee

The food bank of manateethe food bank of Manatee is the largest hunger relief organization based in Manatee county and is an independent food bank relying 100% on the support of the community to meet the needs of food insecure babies, children, families, and seniors in Manatee county. The food bank of Manatee distributes food to over 100 local partner agencies, including food pantries, soup kitchens, and local social service organizations. In 2023, the food bank of Manatee put 3.4 million pounds of food into use in the community to meet immediate needs. In response to increased hunger relief needs stemming from the coronavirus pandemic, the organization developed the food 4 families program, issuing weekly direct distributions of food to families in need throughout Manatee county in 2020. The program has continued since its inception with direct distributions to the community during the summer and holiday months of 2023, providing thousands of Meals to families in need. The food bank also issued over 2,600 emergency baskets to families and babies in crisis in 2023. In addition, over 37,800 pounds of fresh produce was provided free of charge through our mobile produce pantry distributions in high need areas.

Adult day center daybreak adult day center (adc) provides daytime care monday through friday for frail, elderly adults. Many times, these individuals live at home with a loved one and cannot be left alone while their caregiver works or attends to household needs. Daybreak offers a safe, secure environment with recreational and therapeutic activities designed to meet the needs of clients. Quality, trained staff provide peace of mind and respite for families and caregivers. Clients enjoy a stimulating and nurturing environment, participating in social, mental and light physical activities and a healthy meal. Daybreak is the only licensed and federally funded adult day care center in Manatee county. We are licensed for 100 clients to participate in this program. In 2023, we served an average of 69 clients each month.

The home delivered Meals (hdm) programmeals on Wheels Plus of Manatee's home-delivered Meals program has been providing healthy Meals to elderly individuals for over 50 years. Meals on Wheels Plus has delivered over 11 million Meals since 1972. During 2023, 278,000 Meals were prepared for an average of 765 homebound seniors each month. Enrollment in this lifesaving program is open to all Manatee county residents aged 60 Plus regardless of gender, race, or religion. Meals are delivered on a weekly basis by trained, caring volunteers between the hours of 10:00 am and 2:00 pm. Weekly visits are supplemented by periodic telephone reassurance calls as a "check-in" to curb loneliness and enhance the well-being of the clients we serve. In addition to Meals and phone calls, our home-delivered Meals program also provides fresh produce and pet food, free of charge to home-delivered Meals clients.

Friendship dining centers: friendship dining centers are available to seniors in our community offering companionship, activities, and socialization along with a hot nutritious meal. In 2023, over 50 new clients joined our friendship dining centers and over 1,100 Meals were provided. Friendship dining centers are offered in multiple locations throughout Manatee county including central bradenton and rural areas. Transportation: the transportation program serves clients of daybreak adult day center in Manatee county, providing daily rides throughout the county and maintaining a vehicle fleet that includes eight vehicles. The transportation fleet consists of comfortable, state of the art handicap accessible buses, all secured through grants. In 2023, an average of 34 active clients received transportation service to and from daybreak adult day center programming. Other programs and services: nutrition counseling is offered as a one-on-one opportunity for a client to discuss food concerns, allergies, and other nutritional concerns with a licensed dietician to reduce concerns or health risks. The outreach program allows for distribution and sharing of information about all available services in the community, specifically targeting low income and limited english speaking and rural areas of Manatee county.