Food bank boosts the impact of Meals on Wheels by adding a bag of groceries

Problem: Meals on Wheels only provides temporary benefit

Thousands of elderly people in Texas’ Brazos Valley experience food insecurity, and that number is expected to grow significantly over the coming years. While many programs like Meals on Wheels can help struggling seniors, the benefit of a single hot meal is short-lived. Most programs deliver meals once a week.

Solution: Combine a warm meal with a bag of staples from a local food bank

To boost the impact of their programs, Meals on Wheels partnered with the Brazos Valley Food Bank to create their “Senior Bags” program. Drivers now distribute bags of food along with hot meals, enabling them to stretch the benefit of their services through the week until their next visit. Senior bags usually include versatile staples like potatoes and canned goods.

Not only does this benefit Meals on Wheels, but it helps the Brazos Valley Food Bank deliver supplies more inexpensively. “If we didn’t have partners, all of this food would just sit in a warehouse. So that’s actually how all of our food gets out is through our program partners and our partner agencies,” explained Shannon Avila, Brazos Valley Food Bank Programs Manager.

Get Involved

• Share this idea with your local Food Bank or Meals on Wheels program. [af_tf_form]

Read More

• Meals On Wheels And The Brazos Valley Food Bank Partner Up For Senior Bags

• Brazos Valley Food Bank Homepage