Meals On Wheels, Inc. of Tarrant County provides home-delivered meals to the homebound elderly and disabled residents of our county, along with other goods or services our clients need to keep living independently with dignity in their own home. The heart of our mission is our meal-delivery program.
You might have seen other nonprofit organizations that publicize they can feed a person at a cost lower than ours, so we would like to explain why our meals cost $5.50 each. When other organizations advertise a lower cost, they typically mean only the cost of unprepared food or food served in a group setting. Our cost includes the actual meals (raw food, labor to prepare the meals, packaging, utilities, etc.), professional case management, volunteer recruitment and scheduling, administration, and overhead. Also, we are required to serve meals that meet at least one-third of the daily dietary reference intakes. This ensures the majority of our clients receive the nutrition they need.
Each person we serve is visited by a professional case manager before being placed on our program and then revisited at least every three months. The case manager not only certifies a person’s eligibility for Meals On Wheels but also serves as an advocate for other services a client needs. The nutritious meals, daily contact by caring volunteers, and professional case management allow our clients to maintain or improve their physical and emotional health in an environment where they feel the most comfortable.
Meals On Wheels, Inc. of Tarrant County has been in operation since 1973. We always have an eye on keeping our costs low and make changes to adapt. We would not be successfully feeding nearly 4,000 people each year in Tarrant County if not for our focus on coupling cost efficiency with proper nutrition for our clients.
As you’ve read, many factors contribute to our meal cost, and we are always open and honest about our program and our organization. If you would like to speak with anyone involved in our home-delivered meals program or tour our kitchen and office, please do not hesitate to call 817-336-0912.
