METROPORT MEALS ON WHEELS
Celebrating 27 years of service
Food for the soul, Metroport Meals On Wheels style, comes in the form of a daily, home-delivered, hot lunch for the frail, elderly and chronically ill residents of Northeast Tarrant, southern Denton counties and Northwest Wise county. For many, this is the only human contact they receive throughout the day. MMOW delivers meals to individuals who are homebound, or who are too frail to cook or shop for themselves, or who are recovering from accident or illness in addition to those who have chronic health issues. Meal delivery can be on a long-term or short-term basis.
DIGNITY.RESPECT.CONCERN.CONTACT-these are the hallmarks of MMOW's relationship with the seniors in our communities.
MMOW volunteers deliver food and so much more. The volunteer is a friend who cares about the participants. MMOW's staff and volunteers provide a consistent presence in the participants' lives and a vital link to help in an emergency. For their families, MMOW provides peace of mind that comes from knowing that someone who cares is looking in on a loved one when family cannot. Because Metroport Meals On Wheels is there for them, participants receive the support and nourishment that enables them to remain independent and in their own homes for as long as possible.
MMOW also provides the opportunity for active seniors to enjoy food and fellowship by creating and managing senior center luncheon and activity programs in six cities. MMOW's Senior Center Lunch and Activity programs operate on different days in each community to enable our participants to attend any of the centers. In addition to fun and camaraderie, the programs provide an essential support group. This is especially important to the many seniors who have followed their adult children to new communities leaving behind their lifelong network of friends. For seniors who are residing in their children's homes, the autonomy of planning personal activities is crucial to their independence. If circumstances change and an active senior needs to receive home-delivered meals, MMOW is their friend and helping hand instead of charity.
MMOW operates independently of federal funding and provides services to those in need regardless of ability to pay. The support of friends in the community helps make the home delivered and senior center meal programs available to all who need them.
Dignity is a critically important issue for our participants. For many participants, being able to pay some cost of the meals removes the stigma of charity and is the only way they would consider participating in the program. However, it is stressed to participants that there are fundraising events that help pay for meals when necessary, and no one is ever denied services because of financial need. If a participant pays for meals, the charge never exceeds the direct cost of the food, which is usually $3.00 per meal. MMOW assumes the responsibility for the expense of recruiting, training, retaining, managing and communicating with the home delivery volunteers as well as any container costs.
Over the past year, however, MMOW has found an increasing need for subsidized meals among its participants. Primary factors include the struggle to make ends meet on fixed incomes and having to pay a high percentage of monthly income on prescription medications. If finances dictate that an individual must choose between medications and food, the choice is overwhelmingly for the medication. Yet good nutrition is a key element in overall wellness and often minimizes the need for medical services and medication. When medication is needed, it is much more effective if taken in conjunction with balanced nutrition.
Recipients of home-delivered meals are medically fragile. We frequently see changes in the need for services due to hospitalizations and rehab issues. These changes can be short term or long term. In today's health care climate, often there is less than a 24 hour notice that a patient will be released to home and need immediate support from MMOW. Day to day cancellations often occur because of doctor's visits. We also never know when we will be called upon to add new participants to the home-delivered program. Our infrastructure, therefore, must be well established and ready to accommodate individual needs at a moment's notice. We are averaging 5-6 new calls for service every week. MMOW is ready to provide assistance immediately. No red tape. No waiting lists.
MMOW's goal for the home delivered program is to continue using the meals as the conduit to establishing personal connections with seniors who are not able to get out and socialize. Our goal for the home-delivered program is to provide community luncheons in existing and new senior centers that develop camaraderie and support systems for active seniors, to plan fun, interactive activities for seniors that are responsive to their interests, to encourage increased participation and to involve volunteers in significant roles.
Our organization's culture has always been "neighbors helping neighbors." We strive to structure programs that have a solid community basis. The ability to partner with cities, with restaurants within the communities and with active community volunteers enhances the quality of life for all.