Meals on Wheels helping more Contra Costa County seniors during pandemic

For more than 50 years, Meals on Wheels (MOW) Diablo Region has been delivering meals to vulnerable seniors like Theresa.

The 75-year-old lives alone in a Contra Costa County senior living community. Her home is her sanctuary, where she finds comfort in tending her small patio garden. She values her independence but knows she is having small memory lapses.

One day a neighbor took her to run an errand, and Theresa returned home to find her apartment filled with smoke because she had left a pot of water cooking on the stove.

“I didn’t trust myself to cook anymore, but I still wanted to remain at home. So I contacted Meals on Wheels Diablo Region,” she said.

Now, thanks to Meals on Wheels, Theresa receives seven meals a week and can stay safely at home with healthy meals.

Meals on Wheel helps seniors remain healthy and independent at home. Many seniors can no longer drive to the supermarket, which limits their access to food. Some are too weak to stand to cook a meal, or their arthritis is so bad they can’t chop a potato.

Because of COVID-19, local MOW delivery has increased by more than 40 percent, according to executive director Caitlin Sly.

“There are seniors in our community who face food insecurity every day. MOW Diablo Region works to meet their needs,” she said. “Being on the frontline of this crisis, we are helping significantly more seniors, making sure they stay safe and nourished. We can only do this because of the generous support we receive from our community. We are committed to not letting any senior go hungry.”

If you make a donation to MOW Diablo Region by June 15, you gift will be doubled, up to $5,500, thanks to a generous match by Republic Services and an anonymous donor.

For more information or to make a donation, visit mowdiabloregion.org or call 925-937-8311.