Meals on Wheels needs help bringing breakfast to Santa Cruz County seniors

Since 1977, Community Bridges has operated programs designed to serve, support, and supply essential services to the people of Santa Cruz County. One of their 10 programs running today is Meals on Wheels Santa Cruz County which operates across 20 sites.

Delivering meals to seniors in every corner of the county, Meals on Wheels saw a significant increase in demand during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Meals on Wheels customer Margarita and her husband Juan pictured at home

(Community Bridges)

Seniors were unable to have visitors, or see friends and family, due to COVID-19 fears also saw increasing food insecurity due to the quarantine shutdown and social isolation. This meant that for customers like Margarita and her husband Juan, pictured above, the evening meal kits wouldn’t be enough food.

To supplement those nutrition needs, Meals on Wheels through its generous donations and grant funding, was able to provide a breakfast pack with food for an additional meal five days each week.

Margarita explained that without that food they didn’t know what they would have done when they didn’t feel safe going to the grocery store.

(Community Bridges)

Meals on Wheels saw its demand more than double during the pandemic – serving more than 360,000 meals over the first year of the pandemic.

As more Santa Cruz County seniors have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, Meals on Wheels dining sites have reopened. In part, this means that grant funding for the breakfast packs has ended too. But the number of seniors in need of nutrition support has not dropped back to pre-pandemic levels – and many are still concerned about spending time in restaurants, grocery stores, or other crowded locations.

Meals on Wheels helps deliver meals to customers like Margarita and her husband Juan, pictured here

(Community Bridges)

Your #GivingTuesday Donation could help us restore the breakfast packs that helped Santa Cruz County Seniors through the pandemic.