For today’s #TinaTuesday I had the pleasure of visiting and doing a ride along with Meals on Wheels and Senior Outreach Services (MOWSOS), and all I can say is “WOW!”  I had no idea just how many seniors in Contra Costa are isolated and living alone, 78,041 to be exact.  This is where MOWSOS comes in and makes a difference.  Not only do they deliver meals to seniors on a daily basis, but they provide many other programs making sure seniors are cared for and safe.  Some of those programs are… café’s that serve lunch at 6 different senior center locations, TAI CHI classes for balance, Family caregiver workshops, homes made fall-safe, and case management interventions.   So, you could say that MOWSOS is “more than a meal.”  For some of these seniors that get meals delivered to them, it could be their only meal and only human contact they get all day.   Today I rode with volunteer Anne Yap, and delivered 16 meals to seniors in Pleasant Hill and it warmed my heart tremendously.  These seniors are so grateful for MOWSOS!  One senior, pictured with volunteer Anne, shared with me how MOWSOS saved her life.  She was 90lbs when she started receiving meals delivered to her daily.  She is now thriving and attributes all of it to MOWSOS.  She told me that they even came to her apartment and made it fall-safe, putting bars on the walls in strategic locations as well as a number of other additions and/or modifications.  They literally save lives daily.  As the number of seniors and their needs are increasing, you can imagine that it takes a village.  Volunteers and donations are what help them continue on their very important mission to help as many seniors in need as possible. 
 
Things you may have not known…

• MOWS and Family Services was started in 1968 by a group of women that wanted to bring better nutrition to seniors and they raised money through yard sales.
• 90 cents of every dollar donated goes directly back to client programs.
• 34,685 seniors are threatened by hunger and 28,203 are living in or near poverty
• Over 750 meals are delivered in Contra Costa daily.
• 57% of their clients are women
• 30% are 80 years or older
• The Federal government is looking into cutting back on the funding of programs that MOWSOS relies on, and they need help getting the word to our government officials that this would do much harm to so many non-profits that rely on them.
• Nearly 200,000 people in Contra Costa County are age 60 and older.

 
I barely scratched the surface on all of things this amazing organization does, and I can’t imagine not having them and all of the services they provide.  Thank you Susannah Meyer and Elaine Clark for taking the time to share with me the many wonderful things about MOWSOS.  I also want to thank Anne Yap for letting me ride along on her meal deliveries today.  I can tell you that my one day ride along was amazing and it truly touched my heart.  I for one am grateful to MOWSOS and all of their volunteers for doing so much for so many.