SOS Meals on Wheels is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that addresses the issue of senior isolation and hunger locally. Initially called Service Opportunity for Seniors, SOS was founded by a compassionate community activist named Emma Vargas in 1966 as an extension of an outreach program to seniors in an old church facility in Hayward. The program expanded steadily over the years, adopted the Meals on Wheels moniker and model, and in 2013 SOS Meals on Wheels designed and completed a new commercial kitchen in San Leandro, dramatically increasing our ability to meet the needs of seniors in the community. SOS Meals on Wheels currently delivers 1,800 meals daily.

Our mission as an organization is to foster the independence and dignity of older adults by reducing food insecurity and isolation, with daily nutritious meals, friendly visits, and connection to support services.

We are part of a network of 5,000+ independently run local meals on wheels programs across the United States.