Meals on Wheels served over 1500 seniors in Jefferson County this year—how to volunteer

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We have such a generous community in Birmingham and one of the truest examples of that is Meals on Wheels. For many of our homebound seniors across Jefferson County, getting nutritious meals on a regular basis can be hard, if not impossible. Even harder is finding the human connection that comes from sharing a meal with others.

Keep reading to learn the impact Meals on Wheels has had on local seniors this year and how to get involved.

Meals on Wheels by the numbers

You probably know someone who has been impacted by MOW, but did you know how significant the program’s impact really is? We crunched the numbers to see exactly how many local lives are being affected. Here’s what we found from 2022-2023. Meals on Wheels:

• Served a total of 1,580 seniors in Jefferson County.
• Enrolled 161 new seniors into the program.
• Delivered 306,128 meals.
• Relied on 575 volunteers who served a total of 17,572 hours.
• Added 224 greatly needed new volunteers.

We also learned a little more about how MOW got started. The first official program began in Philadelphia in the 1950’s and since has developed into a huge network of community-based programs across the country, starting in Birmingham in 1976 with just five clients. The growth of our local organization is not only amazing but is also indicative of the need for the service.

Change lives with one hour of your time

Volunteering with Meals on Wheels is one of the easiest ways to do good in your community with minimal time commitment, flexible schedules and friendly faces to work alongside.

When we talked to some of the volunteers, they told us how rewarding their time at Meals on Wheels has been. Some of them have been volunteering for years and have built strong relationships with their seniors who literally count down the minutes until their deliveries arrive.

What does giving an hour or two of your time do for the lives of our homebound seniors?

• It provides them with nutritious meals they might not otherwise have.
• It serves as a wellness check to make sure they’re safe and trouble-free.
• It provides human connection, especially important if they live alone.
• It supports their ability to live in their own home with dignity as they age.

Whatever your schedule or preference, there’s a way to help. Learn how to be a part of it.

More volunteers = more seniors served

Meals on Wheels needs volunteers. Their biggest need right now is people to deliver meals to homebound seniors, Monday through Friday, during the lunch hour throughout Jefferson county. There are also volunteer opportunities for meal prep in the kitchen on weekday mornings.

“It only takes about an hour to provide a nutritious lunch time meal and much needed social connection to a homebound senior. The more volunteers we have, the more seniors we can serve.”

Brooke Smith, Vice President of Community Initiatives, United Way of Central Alabama

Ready to volunteer with United Way Meals on Wheels? Sign up today.

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