Everyone should have access to hot meals and human interaction, with shared ambition, we are proud to partner with Meals on Wheels Cumbria. Our partnership supports those who struggle to cook for themselves, largely due to age and issues such as dementia, by cooking and delivering hot meals; our mission is to enhance their health and well-being.
Meals on Wheels currently support 200 people with weekday food provision and in an average month, volunteers will deliver 4,200 hot meals to those who need them. Many of their distribution runs deliver to isolated rural farms and villages with poor transport and amenity access.
Meals are cooked freshly in their local kitchens before they are delivered by the wonderful team of volunteers who provide a vital ‘friendly hello’ with the meals they deliver. Not only is the care this provides a key aspect of our service, it also is an important tool in responding to emergencies and providing daily contact for our vulnerable customers. What a difference this makes: ‘the piping hot food… the lovely people who come… you know they care… just someone calling at the door and wanting to give you a nice meal, it means such a lot’ as one beneficiary said.
Our partnership will enable two months’ worth of deliveries, allowing 12,600 miles to be covered by volunteers as they make 8,400 visits. These visits support nutrition and relieve isolation with a friendly point-of-contact every weekday – looking after the physical health and well-being of those at risk, as we enable them to stay independent and in their own homes for as long as possible – the place they want to be.
David Price, our CEO, wanted to extend his gratitude:
“At Meals on Wheels Cumbria, we are passionate about delivering meals to all those who struggle to cook for themselves and part of that mission is making sure the cost to those who use the service is kept low. One aspect of fulfilling that aim, is the part our wonderful volunteers play in food preparation and delivery. Another key aspect is the support of organisations who help us with funding provision. That is why the recent grant from The Randal Charitable Foundation is so vital to our service as it empowers our volunteers and supports Meals on Wheels Cumbria financially. By covering our volunteer mileage costs for two months, this grant directly enables our meals to reach those who need them most. From all of us at Meals on Wheels Cumbria, and those we serve, thank you.”
