Why Meals on Wheels of Ridgefield Matters.
Three questions with Dean Miller, President & Board Chair of Meals on Wheels of Ridgefield.
Tell me about Meals on Wheels, how did it begin in Ridgefield?
Our operation was started in 1972 by a small group who saw that there were people in Ridgefield who were unable to prepare their own meals. We started in the basement of St. Mary School and delivered about 24 meals a week. In 2020, we served a record of more than 38,700 meals to over 200 clients out of our commercial kitchen in Ballard Green.
We have no age or income restrictions so we can serve anyone in Ridgefield who is unable to prepare their own meals, whether due to age, disability, illness, or recovery from surgery.
We are committed to serving fresh, healthy, and nourishing food, and provide dinners and lunches for up to 7 days a week, if needed. We have 5 part-time employees and over 160 volunteers who prep, cook, pack and deliver meals to our client's door with a smile and some friendly conversation! Our most popular meals are special holiday-themed meals that are sponsored by local businesses, civic organizations, or families.
How does the community support Meals on Wheels? Do you work with local businesses in town?
In addition to financial support from our generous donors, we receive many "in-kind" donations of goods and services from local businesses, families, schoolchildren, scout troops, and many others. These include items like cupcakes donated by The Cake Box, cleaning services donated by Colonial Cleaners, fresh produce from local farms, and hand-crafted seasonal gifts, and decorated lunch bags for our clients. We partner closely with the Town's Department of Social Services and RVNAhealth, as we share many clients and refer clients to each other.
We were forced by COVID restrictions to change our processes to make sure we kept our employees, volunteers, and clients safe, as well as to handle a large increase in meals served during the crisis. Our teams were flexible in working in shifts and on off-days to spread out the work in our small kitchen, which we just recently expanded to handle our increased growth over the past few years.
We also worked with Wooster Hollow Café and Dimitri's Diner to supplement our meal needs during the peak of the crisis. We have retained many clients who signed up during the past year and are expecting another record year in 2021.
Meals on Wheels of Ridgefield is located at 25 Gilbert Street, Ballard Green in Ridgefield. Visit Meals on Wheels of Ridgefield online here, and make sure to check out their Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages as well, or give them a call at 203-438-8788!