104. REPLAY: Everything you need to know about Meals on Wheels
Meals on Wheels has been more important than ever the past couple years as seniors became more isolated during the pandemic. But what is Meals on Wheels, and how does it work? And how do you or your loved ones qualify?
Michelle McMahon is the executive director of Meals on Wheels in Denton County, Texas, and she’s joined by Senior Nutrition Program Manager Kristine Herrera to discuss all the ins and outs of Meals on Wheels.
You’ll learn:
- How it’s funded
- How seniors qualify
- How often meals are delivered
- What’s included
- How the volunteer program works
And more.
It’s a labor of love that does more than deliver meals. Thanks to generous donations and grants, seniors not only receive a nutritious, warm meal – they receive friendly check-ins from members of the community. This provides relief to family members of seniors who may not get to see their loved ones as often as they’d like.
Topics discussed:
- Meals on Wheels
- Congregate meals
- Funding / donating to Meals on Wheels
- Volunteer work
- Senior community
- Senior socialization
Takeaways from this episode:
- Meals on Wheels is free for seniors and mainly funded through the federal government’s Older Americans Act. But to serve more people, they rely on supplemented donations and grants.
- Seniors qualify for delivery when they’re over age 60, live alone, and are homebound. Social workers also do a candidate assessment when they receive a senior referral.
- Senior living facilities sometimes host congregate Meals on Wheels, which offers an enriching experience providing socialization to a population that’s often lonely.
- Meals and Wheels gives peace of mind to distant family members because sometimes the delivery is the only contact seniors have.
- Senior Paws is a donation-based program that partners with Meals on Wheels of Denton County to deliver dog and cat food to home bound seniors with pets.
To find out more about volunteering with Meals on Wheels in Denton County, call:
940-382-2224
Visit the website to learn more or donate:
Senior Paws:
http://mowdc.org/senior-paws-for-pets/
Episode 14: Finding purpose as we age:
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