Denim & Diamonds, March 27, 2021

Sponsors

About Meals on Wheels

Family Service Rochester provides our local Meals on Wheels (serving Rochester and Stewartville). While many people know that Meals on Wheels provides hot, nutritious home delivered meals, there are a few things about our local program most don't know.

1. Meals are available to anyone in need. There are no age or income limitations. We will provide meals to anyone who has trouble preparing or accessing a meal. Fees are based on an ability to pay, those who can afford the full cost of the meal pay it, while those who need help paying for their meal - only pay what they can afford. We also serve all ages - people with disabilities or other challenges who are under 60 are eligible to receive meals.

2. Meals are served 7 days a week. That's right -  meals are served on weekends and holidays as well as weekdays. We often find that those requesting meals on weekends on holidays are those with less resources or support. Thanks to our dedicated volunteers we can serve meals to those most in need every day!

3. Meals are deictically correct. In addition to diabetic, renal, low salt, etc. we can accommodate special diets. For some it's as having their food pre-cut for eating. For others it's a complicated list of dietary restrictions, the meals we offer often remove a lot of the stress of planning healthy meals with variety.

In the last year the need for Meals on Wheels has dramatically increased. We were able to meet the changing community needs by offering Meals on Wheels recipients multiple meals each day, fresh produce deliveries (FSR Fresh), and several weeks worth of shelf stable meals. Additionally, when there was a need for Covid positive individuals quarantined with Olmsted County to receive food, we creating a separate route delivering meals in a safe and efficient manner.

Our volunteers again showed their incredible commitment during the pandemic. During the most restrictive periods, volunteer schedules where adapted. Instead of a different volunteer delivering meals each day we consolidated and a one volunteer would deliver meals - every day of the week. This was a huge commitment from those volunteers, but the decreased risk of exposure to our clients (who are often at high risk) was definitely worth it.

-If you or someone you know is interested in Meals on Wheels, please give us a call, 507-287-2010. Meals can typically begin as soon as the next day. Or find out more about our program http://familyservicerochester.org/meals-on-wheels/