Meals on Wheels People providing 8,000 meals a day during pandemic

Posted

 

Prior to the pandemic, local seniors gathered in the Battle Ground Community Center to receive free meals though the Meals on Wheels People. 

Once safety protocols and gathering regulations were put in place back in March, the Meals on Wheels People closed dining centers such as the Battle Ground Community Center and made their operation delivery only. 

According to Director of Public Relations and Communication for Meals on Wheels People Julie Finley, the organization went from serving about 5,000 meals a day to producing around 8,000 meals per day throughout the three counties it serves once the operation was changed to delivery only. 

The Meals on Wheels People is based in Portland and covers Multnomah and Washington counties in Oregon and Clark County in Washington. Of the three counties, Finley said the organization saw the greatest increase in meal requests from Clark County, which prompted the organization to move it’s operations to a new distribution site. Finley said using the Battle Ground Community Center as a hub for eastern Clark County operations became “very expensive” once they stopped serving people in person. 

“It made more fiscal sense for us to relocate the meal distribution point,” Finley said. “It’s less expensive, has far more storage and is more centrally located.” 

Finley was quick to mention that the Meals on Wheels People plan to bring back the community dining events at the Battle Ground Community Center “as soon as it's safe to do so” and said it was one of the first things the organization wants to do after COVID-19 runs its course. 

Due to COVID-19, the program is entirely done via delivery. Each delivery contains seven meals — one for each day — with protein, starches and vegetables all on the menu. Finley said a few menu items such as the fresh salads, rolls and single servings of milk needed to be modified to fit the new format. Instead of getting a single roll and a half-pint of milk, the delivery now includes an entire loaf of bread and a quart of milk. 



“It didn’t make sense to give somebody seven salads to eat over seven days because by the seventh day, the salad would be looking a little sad,” she said. “And giving them a single carton (of milk) to open instead of seven made more sense.” 

The amount of food in the deliveries also increased due to the pandemic. Instead of getting enough food for five meals a week, seniors now get enough for seven meals. Finley said the organization's ability to increase the amount of food it gave to seniors was possible “primarily through donations.” Because of the increase in deliveries and food the organization was working with, the new location's large storage space was an important aspect of moving operations. Finley also mentioned how the storage space was important for “preparing for anything” when it comes to weather. The Meals on Wheels People wanted to ensure Clark County remained fed “even if there is snow” or other weather this year. 

As for why she continues to do what she does, Finley said she has “always had a real love for older people” and was “fortunate to grow up with four grandparents.” 

Finley said she thinks the elderly in the community can sometimes be “overlooked” and it's important to take care of them. According to Finley, throughout the 50 years the Meals on Wheels People has been serving meals, they have “never turned anyone away” and will continue to serve as many seniors as they can. 

On top of serving meals to the elderly, Finley said the organization has put together a “Friendly Chat Program” that works to give older citizens a chance to socially connect with a volunteer. Oftentimes, the only social interaction someone would get is the brief moments connecting with the Meals on Wheels delivery driver. 

“Because our drivers are only delivering once a week, many were concerned that some people would become socially isolated,” Finley said. “So, we have volunteers call them once a week to talk with them. We are making sure that these people are not only fed nutritionally but emotionally as well.” 

If you are interested in volunteering or need to receive food deliveries from the Meals on Wheels People, visit mowp.org/.