Is anyone here using the Meals on Wheels program? It is available throughout the United States, although there are probably areas where it’s not available, given that it is run through an assortment of non-profit agencies for the elderly, each of which may have different policies and requirements. For example, in my area, it would be the Eastern Area Agency on Aging. Given that we are supposed to be staying at home, here in Maine, although I don’t think very many people are actually doing that, other than those who are homebound for reasons other than the virus campaign, the Eastern Maine Agency on Aging is qualifying pretty much anyone over the age of sixty. They called here the other day to promote the program and talked my wife into accepting a week’s worth of the meals. While not every agency will have the same policies, the Eastern Maine Agency has no payment requirement but recommends a $3.50 per meal contribution, and the meal is intended for two people. I don’t know if we’ll continue with it because I feel a little strange doing so because we’re not broke, we’re not homebound, and we’re perfectly capable of buying our own food and preparing it. But of course, we told them all of that and they still wanted to enroll us in it. Given the virus nonsense, I expect they have obtained funding that is based on the number of people they can enroll, so I’m sure they’re getting a return from it. The meals are prepared in Bangor, fully cooked, and then frozen. They arrive in containers that look like TV dinner trays, but the food is better, fresher, and probably not as processed as a TV dinner might be. I haven’t had any that I didn’t like. They’re not great, and there’s not as much as I’d usually eat, but then I probably shouldn’t be eating as much as I usually eat, anyhow. Anyhow, I was wondering if anyone is familiar with this program. I know some of you are because it’s been mentioned here before, but not in its own thread. On the national Meals on Wheels website, you can find out if there is an agency in your area that offers it by entering your zip code. Each agency will probably have its own website and, as I’ve said, the requirements will probably differ significantly from one to another, based probably on the funding that they receive.
It has been 4-5 years but at one time was working for health agency for elderly. To me this meals were awful looking and seldom much taste. Even ate one at a center one time..was so so. It may be differnt in areas of the country but those here ...yucky.
We're still getting these. Although some are better than others, they are so-so, but they're not over-processed like TV dinners, and they taste better. They are surely not fine dining, but they're okay and that's good enough for me. We don't eat these for supper, because Michelle likes to cook something better for supper, but we've been eating them for dinner; me, mostly, because Michelle is at her recovery center most days.
I'm going to bring this up to the top again as my Honey and I are partipants of the Meals on Wheels program here in Louisiana. Every Monday thru Friday (less Holidays) we are delivered two hot freshly cooked meals for lunch. They are good, nutritious, meals and for the most part we really enjoy them. They are not highly seasoned but we find adding a little of our Cajun spices takes care of that. At least once a month we will have a breastfast meal for lunch with sausages, grits, biscuits, and a fruit cobbler for dessert. We also have a meal of dried beans (navy, red, pinto, black-eyed peas) over rice, greens, corn bread, and dessert every week. Today we had Chicken and gravy, rice, seasoned green beans, and bread pudding. Milk comes with ever meal too but since neither one of us are milk drinkers we had that omitted from our meals. They also give us apple, grape, or orange juice...plus any condiments we need with our meal. Although you don't have to pay if you don't have money, we sent a check each month for $40. Each month we are given the menus for the month so we always know what we will be eating each day. Meals on Wheels has been a tremendous blessing to us and we are really glad we signed up for it. They even have a slice of Birthday cake every month for those having birthdays during each month. Probably each State makes their own menus so the food may be different from what we get...but we are really satisfied that we signed up for this program.
I wouldn't mind eating Meals on Wheels stuff either, but my wife got bored with them after a few days, so we're not getting them anymore. True, there's nothing exciting about them but they fulfill their purpose.