The solutions-focused partnership between Meals on Wheels and Sacramento County Department of Child, Family and Adult Services helps ensure that no senior is left without food or a safety net.​​ Photo courtesy of Sacramento County

SACRAMENTO REGION, CA (MPG) - On a routine Monday meal delivery, a volunteer driver with Meals on Wheels (MoW) Sacramento County made a frightening discovery. A senior had been trapped in a collapsed bed since Friday, without food, water or a way to call for help. Staying calm, the driver called 911 and remained at the scene until the emergency contact arrived.

Reflecting on moments like these, Mindy Klick, executive director of Meals on Wheels Sacramento County shared, “I want to say these are success stories but they are more like life-saving stories.”

Although often mistaken for a public agency, Meals on Wheels Sacramento County is a program of the private nonprofit called ACC Senior Services​, formerly known as The Asian Community Center of Sacramento Valley.

Meals on Wheels Sacramento County partners with Sacramento County Department of Child, Family and Adult Services to tackle senior hunger and isolation head-on.

Department of Child, Family and Adult Services’ support has helped shrink the growing waitlist by providing funding, vehicles and equipment to make meal delivery safer and more efficient.

“We try to provide whatever we can to help seniors stay in their homes safely,” Klick said.​

In the current fiscal year, Meals on Wheels Sacramento County is serving an average of about 1,500 meals to seniors each month, with flexible meal options designed to fit their lifestyles:

Home delivery gives participants a choice of daily hot meals or weekly frozen meal packs.

Restaurant meal vouchers provide flexibility and the opportunity to dine out at local partner restaurants.

Community Cafés, located in community centers and other sites across the county, provide more than just a meal; they offer a space for seniors to connect, socialize and combat loneliness. For many participants, the opportunity for conversation is just as important as the food itself.

AniMeals, a pet food program, ensures that seniors don’t have to choose between feeding themselves and their beloved pets. Many participants consider their pets to be family and AniMeals provides food for these furry companions, allowing seniors to care for them without sacrificing their own meals.

Despite their name, Meals on Wheels is about far more than just meals: “This is about making sure our seniors are safe, cared for and not forgotten,” Klick emphasized.

To help achieve these goals, Meals on Wheels Sacramento County also equips seniors with essential home items such as microwaves for easy meal prep, shower chairs for safer bathing and bedside commodes for added convenience. Regular wellness checks and emergency support add another layer of safety, ensuring help is always within reach.

“We try to provide whatever we can to help seniors stay in their homes safely,” Klick explained.

A key part of this safety net is the bond between seniors and their delivery drivers. Assigned to regular routes, drivers provide consistency which builds trust and familiarity. For many homebound seniors, they might be the only human connection that day or even that week.

If something seems off such as changes in behavior, health or routine, the driver initiates the chain of support by alerting their caseworker who can respond as needed.

“If we see a situation that concerns us, we’re able to reach out to DCFAS (Department of Child, Family and Adult Services) and either get advice, coaching on how to handle it or have Adult Protective Services step in and assist,” said Klick.  

Klick spoke highly of the Department of Child, Family and Adult Services team.

“I have not met a nicer group of people with the biggest hearts, trying to do the right thing,” she said​. “I can pick up the phone and say, ‘This is the challenge we’re facing, what are your thoughts? How can we partner?’”

This open, solutions-focused partnership between Meals on Wheels and Sacramento County Department of Child, Family and Adult Services helps ensure that no senior is left without food or a safety net.​​