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 extraordinary 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 advocated for older adults in her community. And when given the opportunity to be celebrated for all she has accomplished, she instead challenged the rest of us to keep going.
Be loud. End the wait.
I came home to Tampa thinking a lot about what that means for us.
The theme of this year’s conference was Meet the Moment, and across several days of conversations with Meals on Wheels leaders, researchers and innovators, three ideas kept rising to the top.
- 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 confronting growing demand as more Americans live longer and want to remain independent in their own homes. 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.
Someone who may be choosing between food and another necessity, struggling to prepare meals after a health setback, or simply 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, reaching into underserved communities (like South Hillsborough County & Thonotosassa), building new partnerships and understanding where the unmet need is today, and where it will be tomorrow.
We won’t solve that challenge overnight. But we can be bold enough to make it the goal.
- Meeting growing demand requires us to think differently.
One of the things I loved most about being with Meals on Wheels organizations from across the country was seeing how differently communities are approaching the same challenge.
Some are developing partnerships with healthcare providers and insurers. Others are offering private-pay options, accepting SNAP benefits, providing additional meals, or partnering with food banks. Some are growing through partnerships and mergers to reach communities they couldn’t efficiently serve alone.
The common denominator wasn’t any one program.
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 crisscrossing our community every day. Strong community support. And more than 50 years of experience caring for our neighbors.
How can we leverage all of that to serve even more people?
Our own neighbors have told us they’re interested in things like sandwiches, salads and second meals. Could we offer additional affordable meal choices? Could some neighbors use SNAP benefits? Could healthcare partners help cover meals for patients who need nutritional support at home?
Not every idea will be right for MOWT. But meeting the moment requires us to be willing to ask the questions.
- A meal is about health,butit’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 an older adult recover, manage chronic conditions and remain safely at home. That’s why the growing Food is Medicine movement and increased interest from healthcare providers offer exciting opportunities for Meals On Wheels.
But I also came home reminded that what makes this mission extraordinary can’t be measured only by what’s on the plate.
It’s the knock on the door.
The volunteer who knows something doesn’t seem quite right today.
The conversation with someone who might otherwise go the entire day without seeing another person.
It’s knowing that someone will show up.
As our organization grows and innovates, that human connection must remain at the heart of everything we do.
Meeting Our Moment
I left the conference inspired not because I discovered some magical answer for the future of Meals On Wheels of Tampa.
I left inspired because I realized how many of the ingredients for that future are already here.
We have a community that cares deeply. Volunteers who show up day after day. Donors and partners who believe in this mission. A talented team willing to try new things. And 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.
- How many more doors can we reach?
- How many more people can we help remain healthy and independent at home?
- How do we make sure that as our community grows older, no one is forgotten?
I don’t know all the answers yet.
But I know the challenge.
Meet the moment.
Be loud.
End the wait.
And, when in doubt, be like Betty.
— Mandy Cloninger, CFRE
CEO, Meals On Wheels of Tampa
