Meals on Wheels People

Mission

1. We enrich the lives of seniors and assist them in maintaining independence, by providing nutritious food, human connections, and social support. We also use our expertise and capacity to serve other nutritionally at-risk populations.

Bottom Line for Portland

1. Our services allow homebound older adults to remain independent and live in their own homes rather than expensive institutional care. The meals we bring are often their only food for the day and our volunteers are the only person they will hear from. Thanks to your continued support, we continue to meet the demand and have expanded our services beyond just a meal.

Quote

1. “We continue to be grateful for the generosity of our community and the care and compassion shown to our older neighbors, parents, and grandparents. The number of people over 60 years of age will continue to grow by the tens of thousands across the country over the next ten years. We must be prepared to feed and nourish both their physical and emotional health, no matter how many people request our services.”
2.  

- Suzanne Washington, CEO, Meals on Wheels People

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

1. We are committed to feeding any older adult in need, regardless of their immigration status, national origin, race, religion, ethnicity, gender, or sexual orientation. Access to services is not dependent on proof of citizenship or immigration status, nor do we ask anyone their status. Anyone age 60 or older and in need of a meal is welcome. We understand the fear due to federal immigration issues and our multilingual Service Coordinators and staff are working hard in the community to build trust and ensure there are no barriers to program enrollment. We utilize culturally appropriate and sensitive communication, often relying on respected leaders within those communities, to help us reach out to marginalized and underserved communities. We know there are greater health disparities for these ethnic communities, resulting in healthcare and medication challenges/costs that add to the economic squeeze on low-income older adults.

Incentives

Thanks to New Seasons Market, gifts made on 12/7 will be matched up to $2,500. 

Business Partner(s)

A huge thank you to our dedicated community partner, New Seasons Market.