Meals on Wheels by ACC

Reviewed by the Sacramento Region Community Foundation

100% complete

$85,000 Goal


“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 410,000 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.

Giving Activity

Mission

Our mission is to serve nutritious meals with a friendly smile to seniors in Sacramento County.

Needs

We’ve been in business since 2010 and have grown the program steadily, until the pandemic when we started serving more seniors than ever before. We continue to have a high volume of callers seeking meals.

Like everyone else, we’ve been hit with rising costs from gas to food. We are constantly writing grant proposals to government entities and foundations, and continue to do fundraisers like Big Day of Giving. These funds are necessary for us to keep serving the community. A $40 donation will help feed a senior for a week. A $2000 donation will help feed a senior for a year.

Meals on Wheels by ACC also accepts many other types of in-kind gifts ranging from new personal items like gloves, robes, and blankets, handmade placemats, cards, and other items to brighten the lives of our seniors. There are many opportunities for school classrooms, employee groups, scout troops, churches, and community organizations to get involved.

Pet food: Along with delivering meals to homebound seniors, we also provide dog and cat food for their furry friends! In 2023 we served more than 14,000 meals to 124 dogs and 139 cats. Thanks to our AniMeals program, seniors and their pets don't have to go hungry. The seniors we serve often face difficulty preparing meals for themselves, let alone their pets. We found that many participants were sharing their meals with their pets as a result. To support this program, we accept monetary donations as well as donations of unexpired and unopened canned or dry dog and cat food. We never have enough cat food!

Sponsorships are available to help demonstrate the caring community that we live, play, and work in. Sponsors to help hold an event, cover specific program costs, host volunteer activities, and/or purchase food supplies and equipment are always appreciated. Please call Meals on Wheels at (916) 444-9533 for available opportunities.

Equity Statement

Meals on Wheels' mandate is to serve seniors aged 60 and above, who are “most in need.” We do this through a nutritional risk screen and other forms during the intake process. When expanding services, we also consider the location of food deserts and underserved communities throughout Sacramento County. Meals on Wheels staff speak Spanish, Mandarin, Cantonese, Hmong, Vietnamese, and other languages. We utilize translation services as needed and endeavor to partner with other community organizations that may help us expand our participant communities.

Organization Data

Summary

Organization name

Meals on Wheels by ACC

other names

Meals on Wheels Sacramento; MoW

Year Established

2010

Tax id (EIN)

30-0610870

Mission Category

Human Services

Operating Budget

$10,000,001-$100 million

Organization Need

Funding: Program, In-Kind Donations, Volunteers

Demographics Served

Individuals with disabilities, Seniors, Low-income individuals/families

BIPOC Leadership

Board Chair

Local Counties Served

Sacramento

Equity Statement

Equity Statement

Address

7375 Park City Drive
Sacramento, CA 95831

Service areas

Sacramento County, CA, US

Phone

916-444-9533

fax

916-394-9156

Social Media