March 14 event raising money for nonprofit group

Meals on Wheels of Benton County will get a lift from the inaugural “League of Champions Luncheon” on March 14 as part of the nationwide March for Meals support drive.

The Northwest Arkansas Board of Realtors will host the 11:30 a.m. luncheon at its facility at 314 N. Goad Springs Road in Lowell.

Approximately 25 to 30 volunteers for Meals on Wheels deliver 260 meals on five routes five days a week, in an area that includes Rogers, Pea Ridge, Little Flock, Beaver Shores and Lowell.

Debra Torres, office administrator, said the group would like to increase the number of volunteers to 100 to allow them to serve Bentonville and Bella Vista.

The meal delivery program serves homebound seniors without a caregiver at home — ensuring they get something to eat, have a visit and a safety check. Through some 5,000 independently run local programs nationally, the organization serves some 2.4 million seniors.

The nonprofit organization is not federally funded, Torres said. They don’t have to adhere to federal requirements, but they must charge recipients $3.85 per meal. The charity supplements the price of the meal with grant funding, when available.

Tickets for the luncheon are available by calling 479-636-1814 or emailing mowbentonco@gmail.com.

"The nonprofit organization is not federally funded. They must charge recipients $3.85 per meal." Debra Torres Office administrator

FILE PHOTO/JASON IVESTER Doug Woods pulls a tray of chicken from the oven in January at the Benton County Senior Activity and Wellness Center in Bentonville. Woods, who has been the chef at the center for more than six months, prepares lunch daily for the Meals on Wheels...