Meals on Wheels of Buffalo and Erie County, Inc. Recipient of the 2004 "Program Award of Excellence"

Meals on Wheels of Buffalo and Erie County, Inc.
"Home Delivered Meals for the Elderly"

Meals on Wheels of Buffalo & Erie county, Inc., is a private, non-profit agency that provides home delivered meals to the elderly and frail disabled persons living in Western New York. Meals on Wheels has been a steady, quality service that has provided support and excellence to the community. Their mission is to enable recipients to maintain the highest level of independence.

The high-risk, frail and elderly who do not have consistent help make up the Meals on Wheels clientele. They are usually age 60 and older, physically unable to shop, are homebound and usually live alone. Meals on Wheels also offers programs for those who are home recuperating from surgery or a long-hospitalization and AIDS patients.

The program is rehabilitative and preventive in nature, and often defers institutionalization, and prolongs self-sufficiency, independence, dignity, and enhances the quality of life of the person(s) on service.

Specific goals of the program are to: Maintain and upgrade current health and nutritional status through consumption of well balanced, nutritional meals and provide a daily check on the well being of the recipient, i.e., health, social, psychological and physical needs.

Meals on Wheels is a critical service in Erie County that provides the highest level of compassion, quality, excellence and efficiency to consumers. It is a caring organization that provides Food and Friendship daily to thousands of Western New York elderly and handicap citizens who would otherwise be isolated, lonely and at nutritional risk. The benefit to the aging person is reflected in the many thank you notes we receive. Two of these notes so clearly shows the impact our program has on the individual in need:

"To everyone involved with Meals on Wheels, I am writing to you all to say thank you to all the staff and volunteers for providing my daily nutritious meals and a smile each day. You are all a blessing to me. Thank you again. I appreciate you very much."

Sincerely, Howard U., Age 85

"Dear Staff and Volunteers: It has taken too long for me to send you a thank you note for making my birthday memorable. The gift of the quartz Meals on Wheels clock was thoughtful and kind - just as through the years You all kept me eating while I was recuperating from a fractured back. So please accept my deep thanks. God bless you all."

Sincerely, Mary D., Age 94

 

MEALS ON WHEELS MISSION STATEMENT:

The mission of Meals on Wheels of Buffalo & Erie County, Inc., is to deliver daily nutritious meals and provide related support services to those members of our community who have limited ability to shop and/or prepare meals for themselves.
The purpose of our mission is to enable our participants to maintain the highest level of independence.

VISION, CORE BELIEFS & VALUES:

We will strive to provide our services to every qualified individual in Erie County.
We will provide services with the highest level of compassion, quality, excellence, and efficiency.
We will be customer oriented.
We will be cost-effective.
We will maintain a professional and dedicated staff of volunteers and employees.
We will respect the privacy of customers.
We will operate according to a strict standard of ethical behavior.
We will encourage continuous education among our professional staff.