Meals-On-Wheels Delaware, Inc.
Together we can END senior hunger
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Meals On Wheels Delaware is focused on the needs of seniors in Delaware who rely on a hot meal delivered to their home each week day. In 2020 the number of seniors served increased 40% to over 6,000. Meals on Wheels recipients are women and men, aged 60 and over, who often live alone. The average age is in their late 70’s. Most are struggling to balance their needs on a fixed income, and are unable to shop or safely prepare a hot meal for themselves. Some require help when recovering from a hospital stay, but for most the meals are a long term lifeline. Overwhelmingly, seniors who receive meals at home say a daily meal makes them eat healthier, feel more safe and secure, and remain comfortable to live at home. The nutritious meal, friendly volunteer visit, and safety check help our seniors cope with three of the biggest threats of aging: hunger, isolation, and loss of independence. We support five independent Meals On Wheels programs in Delaware.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Focus on Seniors receiving Homebound Meals
Meals On Wheels Delaware is squarely grounded in the priority for health and human services by ensuing seniors who require help with a home delivered meal can receive help when they need it most. Meal delivery can be a life line to people no longer able to consistently cook or shop for themselves. By providing daily meals, and in some cases medical supplements, older people have the dignity and independence of living in their own home a much preferred and affordable option to private or public health care.
Ensure no waiting list for Meals On Wheels programs in Delaware
Meals On Wheels Delaware does not provide a program to the end users of the Meals On Wheels Services.
Our mission is to provide financial and community outreach support for the Meals On Wheels programs which deliver a hot meal to 6,600 home bound seniors in Delaware in 2021.
The Meals On Wheels programs are delivered by five organizations in Delaware, each serves a unique geographical area.
Typically the Meals On Wheel program is one service provided from a senior center. These senior centers offer many wonderful services to their community.
By partnering with the senior centers, to bring a focus to the the Meals On Wheels programs we are able to highlight this essential program which is a lifeline for so many of Delaware's retired population.
Meals On Wheels Delaware provides funding for each essential step to ensure every waiting senior receives a meal. This includes equipment to prepare and deliver meals, volunteer outreach and appreciation, medical meal supplements and hot meals.
Where we work
Videos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Total dollar amount of grants awarded
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Seniors
Related Program
Focus on Seniors receiving Homebound Meals
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Context Notes
Program Support is not a direct grant it is support on request for essential needs to partner programs
Total number of grants awarded
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Seniors
Related Program
Ensure no waiting list for Meals On Wheels programs in Delaware
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Average number of non-monetary support contacts per grantee
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Seniors
Related Program
Focus on Seniors receiving Homebound Meals
Type of Metric
Context - describing the issue we work on
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Only recently added tracking, relevant to relationship building and visibility in the community
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
The mission of Meals On Wheels Delaware is to ensure the uninterrupted delivery of hot meals to homebound seniors in Delaware in their own home.
Our goal is to ensure sufficient funds and volunteer drivers are available to continue the mission.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
Meals On Wheels Delaware focuses attention on the Meals On Wheels programs and the seniors who rely on the home delivered meal.
Funds are raised through grant applications, direct appeals to the community, and special events.
Our strategies include regularly reviewing our targets and tracking our progress against our budget goals.
They include staying current on the needs and expectations of our corporate, small business and individual donors, and adjusting our planning to meet those expectations
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
Meals On Wheels Delaware employs a small staff of talented and dedicated professionals.
We have four full time staff members, and one part time assistant.
Staff members are assisted in setting direction and meeting goals by an active and engaged Board with representation from the corporate world, the business and restaurant communities. Our 18 Board members come from across the State of Delaware.
In addition to our staff and Board we have many committed volunteers who are engaged in planning and executing our special events which are consistently successful in raising funds for the Meals On Wheels programs and building awareness in the community.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
We strive to stay current and adapt to changing conditions in the local economy.
We are taking steps through increased engagement in the business community to ensure our supporter base remains strong as the business climate adjusts.
During 2020 there were many challenges to fundraising as we were unable to hold our traditional signature fundraising events. We worked diligently to understand and leverage new technologies and stay engaged with our supporters and donor base.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We tell the people who gave us feedback how we acted on their feedback
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
It is difficult to get the people we serve to respond to requests for feedback, Staff find it hard to prioritize feedback collection and review due to lack of time
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Meals-On-Wheels Delaware, Inc.
Board of directorsas of 11/22/2022
Mr. Michael Clement
Pat Evans Schulze
Wilmington Trust
Nicole Bailey Ashton
Ashton Pools by Design
Michael Clement
Patterson Schwartz
Thomas W. Coons
W.L. Gore and Associates
Thomas A. Hannum
Buckleys Tavern
Jane Goldberg
Delaware Corporate Agents
Carol Hunter
Ben Muse
Two Stones Pubs
Noreen Lyons Poole
Verizon
Pam Scott
Saul Ewing
John McMahon
Retired
Debbie Smith
Chesapeake Utilities Corp
Lyndon Yearick
Kimberly Fonda
Faw Casson
Devashish Guha
PWC
Dale Cochran
Barclays
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? No -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? No
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Transgender Identity
Sexual orientation
Disability
Equity strategies
Last updated: 03/10/2021GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support.
- We disaggregate data by demographics, including race, in every policy and program measured.
- We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
- We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
- We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
- We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.