Meals on Wheels demand rises amid COVID-19 pandemic

The coronavirus pandemic has thrown communities into economic chaos all across the United States. A rise occurred in the number of people who cannot afford food for their families due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Meals on Wheels.

Meals on Wheels said that they were delivering 8000 meals per day to low-income families in Boston before the pandemic. The organization said that there were delivering around 12000 meals per day to the needy people at the moment. The company officials said that the rise occurred due to the impacts of the COVID-19 crisis on the income of US citizens.

More Americans are finding themselves out of work with the passage of time. It suggests that the need for food will increase in the upcoming days. Valerie Frias, the chief executive officer of the non-profit Ethos in Boston, said, “We are in for a long haul. While people are doing a good job of staying at home, the consequences of that are greater food insecurity.” Ethos helps distribute meals in Boston under the leadership of Frias.

Funding is the most important challenge for non-profit organizations at the moment all across the country. The Meals on Wheels programs gather funding from donations and public grants. There are unable to get enough donations and grants to meet the rising demand across the US. Frias said that the demand was rising quickly. She added that they were utilizing the available dollars efficiently, but they were not enough.

Frias said, “We are doing the best we can with the dollars we have but can only stretch things so far, and the need is so great.” Many seniors are compelled to stay in social isolation. Frias’s aim is beyond delivering food as she has strong social connections with the seniors through a meal. She said, “It is a safety check and also a social connection to make sure that social distancing does not mean social isolation.” Frias is concerned about the well-being of the elderly her organization serves.