Meals on Wheels

Meals on Wheels are programs that deliver meals to individuals at home who are unable to purchase or prepare their own meals. The name is often used generically to refer to home-delivered meals programs, not all of which are actually named "Meals on Wheels". Because they are housebound, many of the recipients are the elderly, and many of the volunteers are also elderly but able-bodied.

History

Meals on Wheels originated in Great Britain during the Blitz, when many people lost their homes and therefore the ability to cook their own food. The Women's Volunteer Service, WVS, for Civil Defence (later WRVS) provided food for these people. The name "Meals on Wheels" derived from the Women's Volunteer Service for Civil Defence's related activity of bringing meals to servicemen. The concept of delivering meals to those unable to prepare their own evolved into the modern programmes that deliver mostly to the housebound elderly for free or with donations.

Great Britain (1947)

The first home delivery of a meal on wheels following the war, in the style we know today, was made by the WVS in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, England in 1947. Many early services used old prams to transport the meals, using straw bails, and even old felt hats to keep the meals warm in transit.

The majority of local authorities have now moved away from freshly cooked food delivery, and towards the supply of frozen pre-cooked reheatable meals.

Australia (1952)

In Australia, Meals on Wheels started in 1952 in South Melbourne. The meals were delivered by a lady on a tricycle. When it became too much for her to cope with, the Red Cross took over.

Doris Taylor founded Meals on Wheels in South Australia in 1953, and in 1954 the first meal was served from the Port Adelaide kitchen. The first meals were delivered to eight elderly Port Adelaide residents on 9 August 1954.

In New South Wales, Meals on Wheels was started in March 1957 by Sydney City Council. In the first week 150 meals were served for inner city dwellers; these were cooked in the Town Hall kitchen.

Organised on a regional basis, in Australia Meals on Wheels is a well established, active and thriving group of organisations; the interested reader can easily find more information on the web. The history of a small sample of some of the organisations includes: New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, and Victoria.

United States (1954)

The first home-delivered meal program in the United States started in 1954 in Philadelphia. Columbus, Ohio and Rochester, New York also pioneered Meals on Wheels in the U.S.

Canada (1965)

Calgary: Meals on Wheels was formed in response to a plea from the Hospital Chaplaincy Committee of the Calgary Presbytery of the United Church. In 1965, a study was undertaken by the Presbyterian United Church Women into the needs of the elderly living alone and those being discharged from hospitals with no help available during their convalescence. On November 30, 1965 the Calgary Church Womens’ Community Care was incorporated and in 1976 the name was officially changed to "Calgary Meals on Wheels". In addition to the United Church, the Anglican, Baptist, Catholic and Presbyterian Churches supported the movement while interested volunteers and service clubs answered the call for help and proved to be the backbone of the fledging organization. The United Way and the City of Calgary have also played a vital role in the success of this community service. On November 15, 1965 the first meal service started serving eight clients. By 1982 the number of clients had increased to in excess of 380 per day, requiring a move to a larger centre. In 2005, Calgary Meals on Wheels celebrated its 40th Anniversary, (having never missed a meal delivery in its 40 year history), and delivered to some 1900 clients, plus services to several unique programmes. The organization is governed by a Board of Directors, all of whom are volunteers. A pool of some 750 volunteers donate just under 75,000 hours of time a year to deliver meals five days a week within Calgary city limits.

Halifax: Meals on Wheels began in Nova Scotia in 1969, with three volunteers delivering six meals in Halifax.

Vancouver: Since 1967, the Health and Home Care Society of BC has operated the Meals on Wheels program in Vancouver and Richmond.

Winnipeg: Meals on Wheels was originally created as a side project of The Home Welfare Association. A 1961 study recommended the establishment of a Meals on Wheels delivery service for people who were unable to prepare meals for themselves, such as the elderly and infirm. A three year pilot project was started and they delivered the first meals on June 30, 1965. In 1981 the Home Welfare Association chapter was officially closed when the name was changed to Meals on Wheels of Winnipeg, Inc.

Modern programs

Today, Meals on Wheels programs generally operate at the county level or smaller. Programs vary widely in their size, service provided, organisation and funding.

There are active Meals on Wheels programs in Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States. The National Association of Care Catering are a great source of information on UK Meals on Wheels services. The Meals On Wheels Association of America (MOWAA) is a national association for senior nutrition programs headquarted in Alexandria, Virginia, but each program operates independently.

Most Meals on Wheels programs deliver meals hot and ready-to-eat, but some deliver cold meals in containers ready to microwave. Others supply deep-frozen meals. Some warm-meal programs provide an additional frozen meal during the days prior to a weekend or holiday (when there would be no delivery). Depending on the program, meals may be delivered by paid drivers or by volunteers. In addition to providing nutrition to sustain the health of a client, a meal delivery by a Meals on Wheels driver or volunteer also serves as a safety check and a source of companionship for the client.

Most clients of Meals on Wheels programs are elderly, but others who are unable to shop or cook for themselves (as well as their pets) are generally eligible for assistance. In the United States, programs receiving federal funding may not serve people less than 60 years old. US Federally funded programs may only request voluntary contributions from clients, while other programs often charge a moderate fee for service. Regardless of their sources of funding, eligibility for most programs is determined solely by medical need, with financial need and actual ability to pay not making a difference either way.

Canada

Halifax Meals on Wheels in Nova Scotia currently operate 68 programmes across the province; more than 600 volunteers serve an estimated 3400 meals a week. In Halifax, the service is partially funded by the municipality. The United Way also provides funding, depending on how much the programmes need. Organizations such as nursing homes and hospitals provide many of the meals; others come from restaurants and private homes. The programme isn't just for the elderly; people of any age who live alone often call when they're recovering after a recent hospital stay and are unable to cook for themselves. Other users of Meals on Wheels are people with disabilities such as multiple sclerosis who use the programme to help them through a rough time when cooking becomes too difficult. In 1996, 56.7% of clients in Halifax used the service for less than three months.

There are dozens of independent meals on wheels in Montreal, one of the largest and most innovative is the unique intergenerational Santropol Roulant, an organization operated mainly by young volunteers in central Montreal neighbourhoods. Deliveries are done on foot, by bicycle and by hybrid car in some outlying routes.

A Vancouver organization that specializes in providing meals on wheels service to people living with HIV/AIDS is A Loving Spoonful.

Meals On Wheels Association of America (MOWAA) Study on Hunger

The Meals On Wheels Association of America Foundation (MOWAAF) has found that hunger is a serious threat facing millions of seniors in the United States, and that understanding the problem is a critical first step to developing remedies. In 2007, MOWAAF, underwritten by the Harrah's Foundation, commissioned a research study entitled The Causes, Consequences and Future of Senior Hunger in America. The report was released at a hearing of the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging in March 2008 in Washington, D.C.

The study found that in the United States, over 5 million seniors, (11.4% of all seniors), experience some form of food insecurity (i.e., were marginally food insecure). Of these, about 2.5 million are at-risk of hunger, and about 750,000 suffer from hunger due to financial constraints. Some groups of seniors are more likely to be at-risk of hunger. Relative to their representation in the overall senior population, those with limited incomes, under age 70, African-Americans, Hispanics, never-married individuals, renters, and persons living in the Southern United States are all more likely to be at-risk of hunger. While certain groups of seniors are at greater-risk of hunger, hunger cuts across the income spectrum. For example, over 50% of all seniors who are at-risk of hunger have incomes above the poverty threshold. Likewise, it is present in all demographic groups. For example, over two-thirds of seniors at-risk of hunger are caucasian. There are marked differences in the risk of hunger across family structure, especially for those seniors living alone, or those living with a grandchild. Those living alone are twice as likely to experience hunger compared to married seniors. One in five senior households with a grandchild (but no adult child) present is at-risk of hunger, compared to about one in twenty households without a grandchild present. Seniors living in non-metropolitan areas are as likely to experience food insecurity as those living in metropolitan areas, suggesting that food insecurity cuts across the urban-rural continuum.