A Letter from Our Leadership: Commitment to Service During a Time of Uncertainty

To the SOS Meals on Wheels Community:

The last 30 days have been unnerving, to say the least. Uncertainty around government funding has tested our resolve and reinforced the importance of advocating for the communities we serve. From the federal level down to local city governments, we’ve been hit with messaging of paused payments and cancelled contracts.  

Our first duty as nonprofit leaders is to the seniors we serve and to our staff who have chosen to make this their life’s work. Our message to them is clear. None of this will not stop us from doing what we do best: showing up for our older neighbors with a nutritious meal and friendly visit. 

Thanks to generous support from private individuals and careful fiscal management, we hold sufficient resources to continue service for the time being, despite fiscal uncertainty from government sources. However, this is only a stop-gap solution. If we want to continue to meet the needs of seniors in Alameda County, we need to fight to secure funding and bring our community together to bolster our programs for years to come.  

Elected officials need to hear from members of our community who care about their older neighbors and who believe that senior nutrition services are worth fighting for.  Even if your representative already serves as a strong champion for seniors, public comments from private citizens are a valuable tool for them to use to support their advocacy. Meals on Wheels America has a great webpage for finding your elected officials and their contact information. Please join me in taking a moment to call or email your representative to tell them why Meals on Wheels is important to you.  

In solidarity, 

Kim Olson  

Director of Advocacy, SOS Meals on Wheels