At ADKF, we take great pride in serving a multitude of non-profit organizations. Not only is it a blessing to work with people whose core values closely align with ours, it is an honor to serve our community through and with them. When Meals on Wheels' previous CPA engagement firm was sold to a national organization, they sought out a firm with local presence which led them to ADKF. For us, it was a no-brainer, we were honored to be part of the Meals on Wheels story. Since partnering, Meals on Wheels and ADKF have successfully completed one audit cycle and are currently preparing for the second. With a history of financial strength and success, Meals on Wheels has been able to garner more community partnerships and achieve greater success in their mission. This quarter, we are incredibly excited to share the story of Meal on Wheels San Antonio!
Founded alongside Grace Place Alzheimer’s Activity Centers in 1977, Meals on Wheels San Antonio has been a lifeline for seniors in Bexar County and its surrounding areas, providing much more than just a meal. This remarkable organization, under the leadership of CEO Vinsen Faris, has become an essential part of the community, addressing senior hunger, isolation, and the myriad of challenges that arise from these circumstances. With over 4,000 people receiving meals daily, the impact of Meals on Wheels is profound and far-reaching.
The main service that Meals on Wheels offers is meal delivery, which ensures each client receives a daily weekday meal that is freshly prepared that morning. For some seniors, this may be the only food they'll eat that day, and the volunteer who delivers it to their home could be the only person they’ll interact with. This fact is often the motivation behind much of the operation. The Meals on Wheels team, with their in-house Registered Dietician, provides nutritious and tasty food that not only is fun and exciting for the clients to eat but is also a nutritionally balanced and complete meal.
Contrary to what the name suggests, Meals on Wheels goes far beyond the food they deliver. Much of the work the team does is “fill in the gaps.” They are looking for what the community lacks and implementing programs to service the need. Volunteers noticed that many clients were sharing their meal with their pet. This observation led to the AniMeals service, which ensures clients' furry friends are taken care of with pet food delivery, dog walking, and transportation to veterinary care and grooming appointments. To combat the loneliness often experienced by homebound seniors, the Friendly Visitor service launched with the goal of providing companionship through activities such as playing games, watching movies, or just simply having a conversation. Additionally, the Comfy Casas initiative works to improve the living conditions for the clients, allowing seniors to live with dignity and increased independence. By providing nourishment, fostering continuous autonomy, and delivering the care required to keep people safe, the Meals on Wheels clients can remain comfortable and empowered within their own home.
With thousands of people to feed, and a variety of services to provide, the most useful resource for Meals on Wheels is its volunteers. To underscore the important work that volunteers do, Faris revealed the ‘secret sauce’ to the Meals on Wheels success: trust. His statement, “We are a witness to these people’s lives,” encapsulates the humbling experience that being part of the clients' rich histories is. Each senior has lived an entire story before ever meeting the team, and they graciously allow Meals on Wheels to become a small, yet significant, part of it. By establishing strong rapport, clients gain the confidence to ask for what they need and welcome the support into their homes. Additionally, as volunteers become close with those they visit, they become more informed advocates, detecting when there is a change in their client’s home, health, personality, etc. It is this bond, and this type of service, that make Meals on Wheels truly unique.
However, a volunteer shortage poses a critical challenge to the organization. With fewer volunteers, Meals on Wheels has begun to contract out work to drivers to help deliver the food. And while the team deeply appreciates the work and effort of these drivers, their primary role is to deliver as many meals as possible, ensuring clients get fed above all else. Consequently, the relationship building that the organization depends on can begin to falter. Hiring drivers also increases the cost that Meals on Wheels must spend to meet their demand and continue operating. However, as a non-profit organization, there will always be a need and so Faris believes in thinking in abundance, rather than scarcity. By sharing the mission and telling the stories of those they have helped, the team is confident they can attract more volunteers and increase awareness of all available resources. One of the ways Meals on Wheels has done this is by opening their campus up to the community. Within their facility are conference rooms which businesses and individuals can book for meetings, seminars, and as workspace. By inviting as many people into the space as possible and showing them what Meals on Wheels does (visitors must pass the floor-to-ceiling kitchen windows on their way to the conference rooms), the team hopes to increase interest in volunteering. Meals on Wheels San Antonio is incredibly localized, and their work requires timeliness, meaning supporters can immediately see the impact of their philanthropy in action!
Looking to the future, Meals on Wheels aims to expand its services. A few of the task items include offering customized meal plans to help manage health conditions such as diabetes, increasing technology access and education, and improving medication management for clients. Continuously adapting to clients’ needs is a vital role that Meals on Wheels has taken head-on. As a completely locally operated organization, they are able be creative, remain flexible, and create initiatives that truly support the small, specific community they serve.
It would be nearly impossible to talk about the mission and success of Meals on Wheels without mentioning the Grace Place Alzheimer’s Center. Founded in conjunction with Meals on Wheels, Grace Place is an area in which Faris and the entire team see an opportunity for continuous growth. The center, located in the Meals on Wheels facility, is the only non-profit, Alzheimer’s-specific adult day activity center in the area. There, those with Alzheimer's and other dementia related diseases can socialize, play, create, and live life with joy and independence. For the families, Grace Place is a beacon of relief, easing the mental, emotional, physical, and financial burdens that Alzheimer’s can create. Families can rest easy, knowing their loved ones are not just safe, but also enjoying their day. With dreams of expanding Grace Place, Meals on Wheels is eager to touch more lives, bringing comfort and support to even more families in need.
As Meals on Wheels continues to grow and evolve, the focus remains on providing more than just food. They aim to offer independence, community, and a better quality of life for seniors and disabled individuals in south-central Texas. The organization's ability to adapt, listen, and respond to community needs ensures that it will remain a cornerstone of support for years to come. By thinking in abundance and fostering community trust, Meals on Wheels exemplifies the power of local philanthropy and the profound impact it can have on those in need. Meals on Wheels delivers more than just food; it transforms the lives of everyone it touches.