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New locations helps Meals on Wheels save money
photo by James Nix
Breda Lypa, at left, Marianne Moose and Dianne Sutton package trays with meatloaf, okra and macaroni and cheese at Meals on Wheels new location in Kannapolis Wednesday morning.
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Published: October 9, 2009
KANNAPOLIS — Providing food low in sodium and sugar, having a place to prepare it and saving $1.50 per meal are some of the benefits Cabarrus Meals on Wheels is enjoying since moving to its new facility in July.
The nonprofit organization recently celebrated its grand opening after moving to a location that now allows staff members to cook and prepare the meals it provides for its more than 300 homebound clients.
"The biggest surprise has been how smoothly everything has gone," said Kimberly Strong, executive director for Meals on Wheels. "Everything has been moving the way it is supposed to."
The nonprofit group has two full-time and two part-time employees who prepare the approximately 325 meals that are delivered each day.
And when the meals are ready, the more than 600 volunteers have just one place to go now to pick them up.
Previously, a catering company and CMC-NorthEast prepared the meals, and volunteers would receive them at one of two locations.
"The new facility is much more convenient," said Mary Pletcher, a Kannapolis resident who has been volunteering with her husband, Tom Pletcher, for Meals on Wheels for about seven years. "Parking is much easier."
She said the clients were also ready for the change.
"I always ask, 'did you like your new meal,' and I haven't gotten any negative responses," Pletcher said. "When you go to the same restaurant, you get tired of the same meal, so you are looking forward to change."
Those new meals are also no longer a mystery to the volunteers who deliver them. Instead of the previous cardboard and aluminum packaging, there is a clear, plastic covering that shows the food that the Pletchers say looks good.
"We've had so many compliments from the clients about the food," Strong said.
This week, Strong had a note on her desk from a client who described the new meals as "fantastic."
Another client said, "You really know how to make a cheeseburger."
Jewel Teal, 86, a Concord resident who has been a client for eight years, said she did not notice much of a difference in the food but said it was still good.
"I appreciate my meals so much," Teal said. "I know one thing, they sure have helped me."
Because of the ravings about the food, more media attention, the new location and a bigger sign, the amount of client referrals has risen, Strong said.
"We've gotten more volunteers and more client referrals," Strong said. "Since we've moved, we now have a waiting list."
She estimated the client referrals have increased by about 25 percent. With a waiting list now, the need for volunteers is still there.
And even though the location has changed, the mission is still the same.
"We are trying to do our best to end senior hunger in Cabarrus County," Strong said.
For information about volunteering with Meals on Wheels, call 704-932-3412.
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