Meals on Wheels Orange County

The senior population in Orange County needed our help during the COVID-19 outbreak and beyond to keep them safe and nourished.

The percentage of older adults living below poverty level is increasing, and a high cost of living coupled with health, housing, and social issues means that older adults in Orange County are experiencing increasing financial and physical hardships. What's more, this population is the only growing group, predicted to double in size by 2040.

Meals on Wheels Orange County is facing these problems head on by nourishing the well being of older adults through nutrition, social connections, and supportive services. Since 1967, Meals on Wheels OC (formerly SeniorServ) has been the largest nonprofit senior nutrition and supportive service provider in Orange County, serving nearly one million meals to over 10,000 at-risk older adults annually. We deliver programs and services that reduce hunger and improve wellness for seniors so that they may live independently in the homes and communities they love.

Programs like Meals on Wheels, Lunch Café, and Adult Day Services are making a difference in Orange County, and thanks to our sponsors, donors, and volunteers, we're able to give the older adults participating in these programs the care they need.

Every senior deserves to feel safe, healthy, and cared for. Learn more at www.MealsOnWheelsOC.org.

Meals on Wheels Orange County has over 50 years of experience as the largest senior nutrition and supportive service provider in Orange County. Our mission is to nourish the wellness, purpose, and dignity of older adults and their families in our community through our programs and services: the Senior Nutrition program (Meals on Wheels with case management and senior center Lunch Cafs - pivoted to Grab & Go solution during COVID-19 Adult Day Care (social model) Adult Day Health Care (medical model) and Care Coordination.

Our programs solve a diverse group of problems, aiming to provide support where it is needed. Our Senior Nutrition programs are made up of Meals on Wheels and Lunch Caf and Grab & Go program. Every Meals on Wheels client receives 3 meals a day, 5 days a week from a friendly volunteer and is partnered with a Case Manager who provides a regular check-in and referral services. Through the Lunch Caf program, we partner with 23 senior centers across the county to provide hot, nutritious food to active seniors. Finally, our Adult Day Care and Adult Day Healthcare Centers support the medical and social needs of adults living at home, but who need daytime assistance for their health and safety. The centers provide a caring environment that provides nutritious meals, opportunities to socialize and participate in activities, valuable experiences outside the house, and respite for their caregivers and family.

Meals on Wheels Orange County has an extremely dedicated and talented team of staff and volunteers that lead the organization. Our current Board consists of physicians, an attorney, accountants, and other business and community leaders to assist our CEO in leading the organization.

Holly Hagler, President & CEO, has an MBA from Northwestern University and has had many years of experience in both for-profit and nonprofit sectors. She is a recognized industry leader in the provision of services to the aging.

Our Social Services Department, responsible for the Meals on Wheels and the Senior Lunch Cafe Programs, has personnel with Masters Degrees in Public Health, Social Work, and Human Services; in addition, many are Certified Health Education Specialists and also have experience in Elderly Nutrition. We maintain a bilingual staff to address the population we serve.

Our Adult Day Health Care programs are staffed with multiple licensed personnel including a Registered Nurse, Licensed Vocational Nurse, Physical Therapist, Occupational Therapist, a Speech Therapist, and a Masters in Social Work staff.

Our finance department is administered by our Chief Financial and Administration Officer who has been in the finance and accounting professional in the business sector for over 25 years. Our Controller has over ten years of business experience.

Our Development Department is administered by our Vice President for Advancement who has had extensive career of over 25 years as a nonprofit fundraiser. The Development Department and organization also benefits from the Senior Director of Advancements over 15 years of experience.

Our Director of Volunteer Services brings over 17 years of knowledge and expertise to our organizations volunteer department.

Finally, we have a dedicated team of over 500 volunteers who deliver food, serve lunches, and visit seniors. Our success is largely due to their commitment to using their time and talent to help us help seniors stay happy and healthy.

Because of our commitment to staying abreast of the senior nutrition field, we are Orange County's senior nutrition and support services provider. We served over 1,000,000 meals in 2023, feeding nearly 10,000 seniors with home-delivered meals and senior lunch meals at 23 locations throughout Orange County. We have earned the loyalty of 877 volunteers who achieved 53,387.25 of work in 2023 alone.

Meals on Wheels Orange County is a leader in the senior nutrition field. Our Executive Director participates in national and local boards of directors. Our corporate culture of collaboration has garnered our support from the government, the community, and other nonprofits providing the same service.

Our long-term overall strategy and the challenge is to continue our mission of nourishing the wellness, purpose, and dignity of older adults and their families in our community. These plans are proving to be fruitful: in February 2018 two of our Adult Day Services centers were selected to be partners through CalOptima's PACE expansion. This will give the seniors we serve more options for their healthcare needs.

In addition, our organization plans to grow as the senior population increases. Improvements to determining the economic impact of our programs, advocacy, and use of technology are all goals that we aim to achieve in the future.