As we enter the season for giving thanks and holiday celebrations, I am writing to you personally to thank you for the support you have provided in the past. YOU made it possible for us to deliver meals to isolated and housebound seniors, right here in your community. You have helped ensure our elderly clients are NEVER without a meal and NEVER ALONE on holidays or any other day of the year.
Here’s the harsh reality. Right now, Riverside Meals on Wheels does not have enough funding to keep up with demand, which is increasing at an alarming pace.
Today, we deliver over 40,000 meals to seniors throughout the year, a 106% increase in just the last two years!
Unfortunately, our donations have not kept pace. With 330,000seniors living in Riverside and another 2 million living throughout the County, the clients we are serving today is just a drop in the bucket of the total need.
We know there are so many more who deserve a warm meal and a safety check to ensure, like Thomas, so they are healthy and remain living independently in their own homes.
Lack of steady donations, increased demand, food, packaging and operational costs are impacting us greatly.
Currently, we have a shortfall of nearly $100,000, and this is just with the seniors we are serving today. We desperately need your assistance. Without Meals on Wheels, Thomas’ family feels certain their father, whose story we shared above, would have become even more challenged and may have slipped further into an unhealthy state. Their biggest fear, and his was that he would not be able to stay in his home and maintain his independence. Instead, with the help of our nutrition and friendly visits, he improved. That’s what we do…give families peace of mind while their loved ones age in place and stay in their homes for as long as possible.
We do not know how to ask any more succinctly.
Please consider giving to us once again, if you are able, so we may be there for the seniors we serve today, and not turn anyone away who needs meals, and a hug, tomorrow.