Sharing Meals with Those in Need - A History

   

 

    The idea of sharing a meal with someone who needs it more than you, is an idea rooted in generosity, empathy, and love. A meal may just be one serving of food, but it often means so much more than that. It is a sign of care, and of provision, and often will warm not only one's stomach, but also the heart. It is a way of saying, you are not forgotten, and your wellbeing matters. 

    An organization such as Meals on Wheels, seeks to provide meals to those who cannot easily attain them, specifically aging seniors. MOW depends on mainly volunteers to hand-deliver meals right to people's homes. Programs such as Meals on Wheels can trace their beginnings all the way back to WWII, when the Women's Volunteer Service for Civil Defense began responding to German planes devastating English lands, by moving about and delivering homemade meals to those most vulnerable and affected by the war. They also distributed refreshments in canteens. These efforts became known as "meals on wheels". 

    This movement of generosity continued even after the war, as there was still much need out in the world for meals to be delivered. In 1954 in Philadelphia, a certain woman named Margaret Toy spearheaded a program with the help of a grant, to begin a regular meal delivery service to homebound individuals of society who would otherwise go hungry if they were not provided for. Soon other cities began following suit and implementing their own meal delivery charities. New York began delivering meals in 1958. These organizations began working with nurses, and hospital social services to determine names of those who might be prime candidates to start receiving meals. 

     Possibly inspired by similar programs throughout the country, Meals on Wheels began in 1969 in Portland, Oregon at a local Methodist church on Lincoln Street. Three woman: Jean Wade, Martha Shull, and Cay Kreiger, started preparing and delivering meals on paper plates wrapped in newspaper to senior citizens that they felt needed them. These three ladies didn't want any senior to hungry or to experience social loneliness. The efforts that started in 1969 have carried on strongly today, as Meals on Wheels now produces 5,700 meals, five days a week out of a large commercial kitchen. It takes at least 400 volunteers a day to keep this operation running. 

To learn more about Meals on Wheels, please visit www.mealsonwheelspeople.org/our-story.