Why We Deliver
Providing Access to Nutritious Food While Promoting Dignity, Well-Being, and Self Sufficiency
It starts with the meal...
2024 Impact
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650-725 hot, nutritious meals a day
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550 frozen meals each weekend
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970 breakfasts each week
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200 bags of groceries each month
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270 pounds of pet food each month
231,471
Home Delivered Meals
Served in 2024
To enrich the lives of older (60+) and homebound adults in South Metro Denver by providing nutritious meals and services that promote dignity, well-being, and independence.
Our Mission:
but is truly so much MORE
Each knock on the door and familiar smile from our volunteers helps isolation fade. These visits provide not only a connection to the community but also a sense of comfort, knowing that someone is checking on them.
In the United States...
In 2024, nearly one in seven (15.6%) older adults (age 60+) experienced food insecurity in the United States.
– Source: Meals on Wheels America 2024 United States Fact Sheet
By 2050, the U.S. Census Bureau projects 104 million people in the U.S. will be age 60 or older.
If the current food insecurity rate among this group remains unchanged, more than 16.2 million older adults will face food insecurity.
U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy calls loneliness a crisis on the order of obesity or smoking, with even greater consequences for health. Loneliness increases the risk of stroke by 32%, heart disease by 29%; odds of dementia go up by 50%.
- Source: Harvard Public Health
In Colorado...
One in five Coloradans (21.8%) is age 60 or older...
And nearly 1 in 4 (24.1%) lives alone.
– Source: Meals on Wheels America 2024
State Fact Sheet for Colorado
Half of our clients reported feeling lonely
- Source: Nourish Annual Client Survey 2024
The negative consequences of social isolation include anxiety, depression, cardiovascular disease, cognitive decline, a lower quality of life and increased use of healthcare services. Homebound older adults are particularly vulnerable to social isolation and loneliness.
Source: Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation - The U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory on the Healing Effects of Social Connection and Community 2023
By 2050, the number of older adults in Colorado is expected to increase by nearly 50% to 1.95 million.
That’s nearly 60% of the current population living in the Denver Metropolitan Area!
1 in 2 Older Adults
Living Alone
lacks the income to
pay for basic needs
Source: Meals on Wheels America 2024 State Fact Sheet for Colorado
Our Model
Increasing access to healthy, safe, and affordable food can improve nutrition and health across a person’s lifespan. Our model is based on findings from a study funded by the AARP and conducted by Brown University, comparing seniors who received a hot daily meal compared to those who received weekly frozen meals.
Clients who received hot, daily meals were more likely to exhibit:
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Improvement in mental health.
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Improvement in self-rated overall health.
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Improvement in the ability to maintain a healthy weight.
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Reductions in the rate of falls.
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Improvements in feelings of isolation and loneliness.
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Decreases in worry about being able to remain in home.
Our meal service decreases food insecurity and malnutrition, which leads to fewer chronic illnesses, like asthma, diabetes, and arthritis. Our daily volunteer visits counteract the isolation many seniors and homebound, disabled adults experience, which also leads to a decrease in physical illnesses.
We deliver meals five days a week to maximize interaction opportunities between our clients and volunteers. The drivers notify us if there is a concern regarding client wellbeing. We follow up on these concerns by communicating with the client, their emergency contact, or if necessary, a welfare check from local law enforcement.
Our Clients
Demographics
During our thorough intake process, we obtain our clients’ pertinent demographics including income range as defined by HUD Guidelines. We ask clients to contribute to the cost of the meals if they are able, but we never turn anyone away for financial reasons.
73% of our clients’ meals are fully or partially subsidized.
91% of our clients are below
the 300% Federal Poverty Level.
Age Breakdown:
93% of our clients are over the age of 60
with 49% of those over the age of 80.
7% of our clients are under the age of 60 and homebound due to a disability,
such as MS, stroke, brain injury,
or mental health issues.
“I’ve never really had anyone care for me like you do. You make sure I have something to eat and someone to talk to. It’s more than bringing me a meal; you’re just a family to me!”
~ Kim, 68, Battling Multiple Sclerosis
Client Survey Responses
93% of clients said the meal program has improved their overall quality of life.
95% rated the quality of the hot entrees as good to excellent.
87% agree our meal program allows them to remain independent in their home.
86% said our services significantly reduce their level of stress.
84% said our services make them feel less lonely and isolated.
72% agreed the meal program helped to maintain a healthy weight.
76% agreed home delivered meals provide healthier food than they can prepare.
63% of respondents agree that without home-delivered meals, it would be difficult for them to get a meal.
93% of respondents agree that receiving home-delivered meals gives them the opportunity to try a variety of foods.
93% of respondents agree that they don’t have to worry about the nutritional value of the meals they eat when they receive home-delivered meals.
Some clients qualify for Colorado’s food assistance program (SNAP); however, 45.6% of our clients reported they did not have enough money or food assistance to buy the food they need.
- Source: Nourish Annual Client Survey 2024