Meals on Wheels celebrates 50 years
The program provides high-quality meals made with certified organic, local ingredients.
They’re very reliant not just on the meals but also on that brief social interaction with the volunteers.
With chronic health problems, Lise Peterson was already dealing with daily difficulties when she received some unpleasant news earlier this year. The Vancouver resident was diagnosed with cancer, which has made the last few months harder than ever.
“Things have been pretty challenging,” says Peterson, who has had surgery and is undergoing other treatment for the disease. “There’s a lot to cope with.”
As anyone who’s had any kind of serious illness can attest, seemingly simple day-to-day tasks can become a significant challenge when you’re not feeling well. Peterson, who was the main cook in her household before she found out she had cancer, turned to Meals on Wheels for help.
Operated by the Health and Home Care Society of BC (Care BC) throughout Vancouver and Richmond, Meals on Wheels is a program where volunteers deliver nutritious, delicious hot meals to people who are home-bound, including seniors, caregivers, individuals with various medical conditions, and those recovering from surgery, illness, or injury.
The not-for profit Care BC delivers over 500 western and Chinesestyle hot meals to people every single weekday, thanks to the dedication of about 350 volunteers. Celebrating its 50th anniversary this fall, Meals on Wheels served 118,000 meals last year to 1,234 clients in Vancouver and Richmond.
Because the cost of every meal is partially subsidized by Care BC, they’re affordable, which is especially important for seniors living on fixed incomes. While affordability is a program pillar, so is flavour.
Chinese meals are prepared by S.U.C.C.E.S.S., while MAVA Foods Ltd. prepares the western meals. Launched in 2007 by COO and chef Marcus Von Albrecht, MAVA makes food that is good for people and the planet, utilizing all natural, seasonal ingredients from local farmers.
With decades of epicurean experience, Von Albrecht has played a key role in elevating standards of food-service excellence while supporting local economies. He does this by buying from local producers such as Delta Fisheries, 63 Acres Farms, and Blue Goose Cattle Company.
Hazelmere Organic Farms is another. Based in Surrey, it specializes in certified-organic produce and herbs: beets, basil, carrots, celery, chards, fennel, potatoes, squash, and much more.
“People want to know how their food is grown and where it comes from,” says Hazelmere’s owner Naty King. “You have to look at the nutritional value of food and have proper information about your food to sustain life.”
Abbotsford’s Gelderman Farms produces the high-quality pork products MAVA uses, including bacon, ham, and pork chops. “There are no antibiotics, hormones, or growth products,” says owner Jerry Gelderman, who has been farming for 38 years. “Our pigs are raised in naturally ventilated barns and have room to run and root and they get a vegetable diet. Good-quality product always starts with the pigs.”
These types of products appeal to conscientious consumers without sacrificing the convenience of prepared meals, which MAVA prepares in a HACCP facility in Richmond.
MAVA creates meals for grocery and convenience stores, schools, private labels, and B.C. Ferries as well as charities, making nutritious, affordable food for those in need. Anyone can shop online for MAVA products at www.mavafoods.com.
Dr. Inge Schamborzki, Executive Director of Care BC, says that Meals on Wheels provides people with more than a nourishing, hot meal. Half of Meals on Wheels clients are over age 80 and 12 percent are 90 and older; many are very frail.
“These are people who are primarily unable to shop for themselves or unable to cook because of their medical condition,” Schamborzki says. “They’re very reliant not just on the meals but also on that brief social interaction with the volunteers. It’s someone they recognize and who can provide a safety check as well.
“I can’t say enough about our volunteers or emphasize how much we rely on them to provide this service,” she adds. “They are incredibly dedicated.”
The organization always has 60 volunteers on the road delivering meals—whether by car or bike— over the lunch hour from Monday to Friday. It’s ideal for people who work from home or who have a flexible work schedule as well as retirees, and volunteers are always needed.
For Peterson, Meals on Wheels has been a lifeline.
“When I had just gotten home from the hospital, I was really down and was not getting out much,” she says. “One of the best things about Meals on Wheels is the regularity: we see the same faces, and the volunteers come at roughly the same time of day.
“Going through [cancer] treatment is not easy, and for a lot of people, cooking might be difficult because they’re in pain or they’re not mobile,” she adds. “Having Meals on Wheels has really made things easier.”
To celebrate its 50th anniversary and to continue its vital work, Meals on Wheels is hosting a fundraising dinner and dance at the Westin Bayshore Hotel on October 21, 2017. More information about the event, volunteering, or making a donation to Meals on Wheels is at www.carebc.ca.