Meals on Wheels of RI to discontinue weekend deliveries
PROVIDENCE, RI – Meals on Wheels of Rhode Island will discontinue
its weekend meal delivery services across the state due to financial constraints.
Meals on Wheels launched its weekend meal delivery program last year. Roughly half
of the organization’s Rhode Island clients opted in for the service.
«Discontinuing our weekend meals is an unfortunate result of the combination of
funding stagnation and increasing expenses. Governor Raimondo demonstrated strong
support for the program when she included a $330,000 increase which returned our
state funding to 2007 levels.” said Heather Amaral, Executive Director, Meals on
Wheels of Rhode Island. “We remain committed to our longstanding mission of
providing healthy weekday meals to more than 2,500 vulnerable members of the Rhode
Island community annually – a service Meals on Wheels of Rhode Island has performed
for nearly 50 years. We will continue to assess our budget realities to determine if
we can reinstate the weekend meal program in the future.”
The cancellation of weekend deliveries will take effect September 1, 2017.
About Meals on Wheels of Rhode Island
Meals on Wheels of Rhode Island—the only non-profit home-delivered meal program in
the state—has been delivering meals to seniors and homebound since 1969. While the
Home Delivered program is the most recognized service, Meals on Wheels of Rhode
Island also has a Capital City Café program, a Restaurant Program, and a Senior Wish
Program for those in need. By offering these programs, we are able to fulfill our
mission of meeting the nutritional and special needs of the elderly in order to help
them maintain their independent lifestyles.
Meals on Wheels of Rhode Island is dedicated to helping Rhode Island’s frail and
elderly throughout the entire state. Since 1969, from Westerly to Woonsocket and
from Newport to Cumberland, our staff and team of volunteers serves nearly 1,200
weekday meals.
Learn more at www.rimeals.org