Meals on Wheels Programs Across the US in Trouble Amid Coronavirus Pandemic

Meals on Wheels programs have been struggling to keep running during the coronavirus pandemic. The programs deliver meals to seniors, and rely mostly on volunteers. Many of these programs need younger people to help out since people 60 and over are the most vulnerable to COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.

There are now more than 266,000 confirmed coronavirus cases worldwide, including more than 16,600 in the U.S. alone. There have been 216 reported deaths in the U.S., according to Johns Hopkins University. Washington state has seen the most deaths with 74, while 39 people died in New York. On Friday, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo ordered a more complete shutdown of non-essential services in the state as the number of cases climbed past 7,000.

On Friday, Cuomo called this the “ultimate step” to slow the spread and asked individual New Yorkers to “remain indoors.” New York has almost 46 percent of all confirmed U.S. cases, Cuomo noted, reports Newsday. He warned, “This could be going on for months.”

On the other side of the country, California Governor Gavin Newsom put in similar restrictions which could last “until further notice.” Dine-in restaurants, bars, nightclubs, entertainment venues, convention centers and gyms and fitness centers have all been closed, while public gatherings have been canceled. Only essential businesses like grocery stores, food banks, pharmacies, banks and gas stations will remain open, as will essential state and local government offices.

Here is a look at some of the issues Meals on Wheels programs face across the country.

Pennsylvania

Meals on Wheels focuses on home-bound senior citizens and launched in Philadelphia in 1954. The programs serve 2.4 million clients each year with the help of 2 million volunteers. Many of the drivers also conduct wellness checks. Many of their drivers are over 60 as well.

“Our volunteer drivers tend to be older themselves,” which makes them higher at risk for contracting the coronavirus, Melissa Buckminster, the agency’s director of marketing, told the Inquirer. “They have a warranted anxiety. But we are completely dependent on them for delivery.”

California

After Newsom asked senior citizens with chronic conditions to isolate themselves last weekend, Meals on Wheels asked all drivers over 65 to stay home.

“To ensure we can get meals to almost 2000 recipients, our office and administrative staff are driving routes,” CEO Darrick Lam said in a statement, reports KCRA. “The safety of recipients and staff is a primary concern so our drivers are taking a ‘no contact’ delivery approach: knock, leave the meals near the front door, then step back 6 to 10 feet as they wait for seniors to collect their meals.”

Oregon

In the Portland, Oregon area, Meals on Wheels People director of marketing Julie Piper Finley called on new volunteers to help out the 5,000 people they serve. Drivers need to be 18 or over, have a car and valid insurance, and pass a criminal background check. Piper Finley told Oregon Live they are working with the state to speed the checks along to help seniors as soon as possible. 

Kansas

In Lawrence, Kansas, the Lawrence Meals on Wheels program suspended its service for those with specialized diets, beginning on April 2. This is a separate organization from Meals on Wheels of Eastern Kansas, which is still delivering meals to other seniors, including Lawrence seniors.

“This is something we have never done and truly wish we didn’t have to now,” executive director Kim Culliss said in a news release. “Out of an abundance of caution, care and concern for the safety of our clients, volunteers and staff we believe it is better to be proactive rather than reactive.”

Culliss said they will keep making wellness check phone calls, but due to social distancing, it would be difficult to deliver the meals. 

New York

Joe Tornello, CEO of Meals on Wheels Staten Island, told Fox News they already deliver two meals to over 1,200 people in Staten Island, New York a day. During the coronavirus outbreak though, the referrals have jumped, putting increasing pressure on their staff to get food out.

“Since Monday, over the last few days, we’ve received 50 referrals, people calling to say that due to the situation, they’re asking for home-delivered meals,” Tornello explained. “It’s put a challenge on all of our systems here to maintain our food preparation and food production capacity, not only for our existing population, but to be prepared to increase that.”

Unfortunately, costs keep going up. That includes the cost of keeping food safe and uncontaminated as more volunteers come in.

“We don’t have [the work at home] option,” Tornello said. “Our kitchen staff come in at 5 in the morning, they have to be here to start cooking the food. Our drivers need to be in here by 8 so they can start loading their trucks, preparing their trucks for food. Volunteers come in after that.”

Missouri

The Meals on Wheels program in the St. Louis area has been forced to deliver meals only once a week. Seniors in St. Louis County, St. Charles County, Franklin County and Jefferson County will receive their meals on Fridays instead of every weekday, Teri Fletcher, an administrator at the St. Peters Senior Center, told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The move is to help reduce seniors’ exposure to coronavirus.

“We certainly plan on resuming their access to hot meals as soon as this whole thing is over with,” Fletcher said. “People understand why we’re taking these precautionary measures and they’re very supportive of it.”

South Carolina

Meals on Wheels of Horry County in South Carolina was ready to shut down before the coronavirus outbreak, but director Michael Taylor told ABC15 they are still going to do what they can to help seniors. Usually, they deliver about 500 meals a week. His strategy is to make as many meals as they can before they are forced to close the kitchen. This means they could be running out of food and have asked the public to make donations to help.

“We are looking to try to freeze 5,000 meals within the next three or four days,” Tyler said. “We’re going to be working pretty much 24/7 to try to make that happen.”

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