Community Foundation of Abilene Presents Substantial Grant to Meals on Wheels
By: Press Release
Updated: January 24, 2013
MOW has been providing home delivered meals in Abilene since May 1975. MOW provides hot, noon meals Monday through Friday for more than 1025 seniors and other at-risk adults with disabilities in the Abilene, Hamby, Hawley, Hodges and Potosi area. The meals are provided to frail individuals who are unable to provide balanced meals for themselves on a daily basis and need this service. Most clients are low income and receive their meals free of charge.
More than 800 community volunteers contribute their time, car and gas to deliver meals Monday through Friday. Each volunteer not only delivers meals, but also checks on the well being of each person on their route.
When new volunteers are trained, their training includes tips for working with older people and persons with disabilities. They are trained to follow-up when someone does not answer the door. Many recipients live alone and do not have anyone checking on them other than the Meals on Wheels volunteer. From time to time, Meals on Wheels volunteers discover someone in a life threatening situation and their response results in that person receiving needed medical care, and their life being saved.
Funding from the State of Texas makes it possible for a limited number of low income individuals to receive free meals. The need for free meals is much greater than available funding, and some people have been on the waiting list for months. MOW realizes that most of those people need meals now, and uses community contributions to provide hot meals to 126 of the neediest people on the waiting list.
In partnership with the Community Foundation of Abilene, many needy people can expect a knock on the door this winter from a Meals on Wheels volunteer. The Community Foundation of Abilene collects, invests, and administers charitable endowments for the benefit of our community. They give grants that make our community better.
The Community Foundation of Abilene is a permanent collection of charitable funds supported by the general public and serving the greater Abilene region. The Foundation serves the entire community by raising, managing, and distribution funds for charitable purposes. In many cases, contributions are pooled and invested, so that the earnings provide a permanent source of grant monies for general or specific purposes.
Community members, wanting to be a part of this effort to fight hunger right here at home, can call Meals on Wheels at 672-5050 to sign up to deliver meals one day a week. Anyone wishing to contribute to this 501(c) (3) non-profit is invited to call or come by the Meals on Wheels offices at 717 North 10th Street. You can be part of the solution.

