SOS Meals On Wheels’ primary function is to deliver nutritious, balanced meals and friendly safety checks to homebound seniors. We fight every day to keep seniors in their homes, healthy and happy, for as long as safely possible.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, SOS Meals on Wheels Program provided meals to seniors sheltering in place. The target population was homebound seniors, 60 years of age and older, who are unable to shop for food or prepare meals for themselves. By promoting “Basic Nutritional Health”, the program decreases the possibility of premature institutionalization and fosters and supports self-determination, independence, and the dignity of homebound seniors.
During the 2020 pandemic, SOS Meals on Wheels was able to respond to the increase in need for MOW services by saying “Yes!” to every single eligible Oakland senior who requested meals, serving over 289,000 meals to 1,700 seniors.
Thanks in large part to the initial and immediate financial support from the City of Oakland, SOS was able to make significant investments in organization-wide and logistical changes. This included equipment and training for staff, volunteers, and clients to ensure protection from potential COVID exposure in the SOS kitchen and during meal deliveries.
Additionally, SOS values being included in the City’s COVID-19 PIO news conferences. This effort has highlighted their work to other potential funders and donors, and more importantly to previously out-of-reach seniors and their families.
