Be Like Betty: Meeting the Moment for Meals On Wheels

Updated on 11 Nov at 10:04 am

I came home from the Meals on Wheels America conference with pages of notes, new ideas, new friends from across the country, and one challenge I haven’t been able to stop thinking about:

Be loud. End the wait.

That challenge came from Betty Bradley of Meals on Wheels Plus in Abilene, Texas, who was honored for an incredible 50 years of service to the Meals on Wheels mission.

Maybe it was my own West Texas roots—Abilene is only a couple of hours from where I grew up—but Miss Betty got me. Right in my heart and head.

For five decades, she has humbly served, led, and spoken up for older adults in her community. Yet, when given the chance to celebrate all she has accomplished, she used that moment to challenge the rest of us to keep going.

Be loud. End the wait.

I came home to Tampa thinking a lot about what those words mean for us.

The theme of this year’s conference was Meet the Moment. Throughout several days of conversations with Meals on Wheels leaders, researchers, and innovators, three important ideas kept rising to the top.

1. We have to find new ways to reach every neighbor who needs us.

Waiting for Meals on Wheels isn’t just a Tampa or Hillsborough County challenge.

Across the country, programs are facing growing demand as more Americans live longer and want to stay independent in their own homes. For example, I heard from one Florida community with approximately 600 people waiting for service and another organization receiving around 100 calls for help each week.

Behind every number is a person.

Someone’s mom. Grandfather. Neighbor. Veteran. Former teacher. Friend.

Some may be choosing between food and other basic needs. Others may be struggling to prepare meals after a health setback or spending far too many days alone.

So I keep coming back to Betty’s challenge: What would it take to end the wait?

For Meals On Wheels of Tampa, that means continuing to grow and reaching more underserved communities, including South Hillsborough County and Thonotosassa. It also means building new partnerships and understanding where the need exists today and where it may grow tomorrow.

We won’t solve this challenge overnight. However, we can be bold enough to make ending the wait our goal.

Understanding and reaching underserved communities

As our community continues to grow, we must find new ways to reach neighbors who may not yet know about our services. By learning more about local needs and building strong community partnerships, we can help ensure that more older adults get the support they deserve.

2. Meeting growing demand requires us to think differently.

One of the things I loved most about meeting Meals on Wheels organizations from across the country was seeing how different communities are tackling the same challenge.

Some are building partnerships with healthcare providers and insurers. Others are offering private-pay options, accepting SNAP benefits, providing additional meals, or working with food banks. Meanwhile, some organizations are growing through partnerships and mergers to reach communities they couldn’t serve as easily on their own.

The common thread wasn’t any one program.

Instead, it was a willingness to ask:

What else is possible?

That’s a question we’re asking, too.

We have an incredible commercial kitchen, a remarkable network of volunteers, trucks and delivery routes that reach across our community every day, and strong community support. Most importantly, we have more than 50 years of experience caring for our neighbors.

How can we use all these resources to serve even more people?

Exploring new ways to serve our neighbors

Our own neighbors have told us they’re interested in options like sandwiches, salads, and second meals. With that in mind, could we offer more affordable meal choices? Could some neighbors use SNAP benefits? Perhaps healthcare partners could help cover meals for patients who need nutritional support at home.

Not every idea will be right for MOWT. Still, meeting the moment means being open to new possibilities and willing to ask the questions.

3. A meal is about health, but it’s also about something deeply human.

Some of the most compelling research shared at the conference focused on the health and well-being of the people Meals on Wheels programs serve.

That matters enormously.

Good nutrition can help older adults recover, manage chronic conditions, and remain safely at home. Because of this, the growing Food is Medicine movement and increased interest from healthcare providers offer exciting opportunities for Meals On Wheels.

However, I also came home reminded that what makes this mission extraordinary goes far beyond what’s on the plate.

It’s the knock on the door.

The volunteer who notices when something doesn’t seem quite right.

The conversation with someone who might otherwise go the entire day without seeing another person.

Most importantly, it’s knowing that someone will show up.

Keeping human connection at the heart of our mission

As our organization grows and explores new ways to serve our neighbors, we must never lose sight of what makes this work so meaningful.

That human connection must remain at the heart of everything we do.

Meeting Our Moment

I left the conference feeling inspired, not because I discovered some magical answer for the future of Meals On Wheels of Tampa, but because I realized how many of the ingredients for that future are already here.

We have a community that cares deeply. We have volunteers who show up day after day, donors and partners who believe in this mission, and a talented team willing to try new things. Along with that, we have more than five decades of experience nourishing, enriching, and strengthening the lives of our neighbors.

Now, we get to ask what we can do with all of it.