“I want to thank you and the program for ALL you have done to help keep my father healthy. At times your program was my only eyes and ears into knowing his state of health and wellbeing. Meals on Wheels has been truly a blessing to our family.”
Impact: In 2022, Meals on Wheels by ACC served over 441,455 meals to 4,100 seniors aged 60 and above throughout Sacramento County.
How do we do this? More than half of the older adults we serve are homebound seniors. Our team of staff and 200 volunteers deliver a box of meals to almost 1,500 seniors every week. 300 of the frailest seniors, those who have difficulty even microwaving a meal, get a hot meal delivered every Monday through Friday.
Our mission is to serve nutritious meals with a friendly smile to seniors in Sacramento County. Our motto is, “delivering so much more than a meal,” because sometimes our delivery driver is the only person the seniors see in a day or even a week. The drivers provide a smile and a kind word to these isolated seniors. They are also trained to look out for changes in the seniors’ health status or other concerns. Meals on Wheels volunteers are the heart of our program and serve as caring eyes and ears to help seniors stay at home and live healthier, happier, and safer lives.
"My mom is a Meals on Wheels recipient now that she is home bound and no longer has the cognitive ability to plan and prepare healthy meals. Thank you for the wonderful food. I know she is eating a healthy meal that also tastes good. We just want you to know that you make a difference."
Our other major program is congregate dining for 700 seniors. We are happy to report that we are slowly and safely reopening our community cafes- the lunch sites for the seniors who have transportation- that had to be shuttered during the pandemic. We now have 17 out of our original 20 cafes reopened! We will open more community cafes in 2024! Older adults can now get together once again, to socialize, play games, exercise, and have a meal together. The value of socialization cannot be emphasized enough, as loneliness and social isolation can greatly impact a senior’s health (https://www.cdc.gov/aging/publications/features/lonely-older-adults.html). Our new restaurant program gives seniors the opportunity to go to contracted restaurants to eat special senior meals. Through this program we are focusing on veterans, reaching some underserved communities, and supporting local small businesses.
“This program is very important to me. It helps me be social and healthy. The variety of meals is delicious.”
Farm to Fork Capitol: Our meals now come from local restaurants and caterers. While doing this is more expensive, it ensures that our meals are locally produced. We want older adults to also benefit from the agricultural bounty that surrounds Sacramento. We are proud to be serving freshly prepared, locally made meals.
“With deepest gratitude in my heart, I want to thank you for this program that's helped me, my wife and family.”
Meals on Wheels by ACC is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization and led by a volunteer Board of Directors. We believe that all seniors should be allowed to continue living at home independently, with dignity and respect. We strive to help seniors avoid premature institutional care and improve their quality of life, social well-being, and independence. Our vision is to ensure that no senior goes hungry in Sacramento County.