A few of the bold, resourceful ways we’ve reached our aging neighbors across decades of change

Meals on Wheels People is a force of care and coordination — powered by the unwavering dedication of volunteers, staff, and supporters. For over 55 years, we’ve shown up for older adults in our community with purpose, creativity, and grit. From delivering meals through record heatwaves and ice storms to adapting routes, recipes, and operations in the face of a pandemic — we’ve never backed down from a challenge.

This is what resilience looks like.

This is what your support makes possible.

Here’s a look back at just a few of the bold, resourceful ways we’ve reached our aging neighbors across decades of change.

Fueling Up on Kindness

During the 1973 oil crisis, Oregonians had to cope with incredibly long wait times at the pump, staggered fill-up days based on license plates, and often no gas at all at some stations. Meals on Wheels People volunteers were undeterred.

“It did not stop people,” says Meals on Wheels People CEO Suzanne Washington. “They waited in line for gas, rode their bikes, and walked.”

Style Meets Service

Maybelle Clark Macdonald, right, a philanthropist and longtime supporter of senior nutrition, delivered meals on foot for many years in downtown Portland — often dressed to the nines, even in the snow. She liked to call it “Meals on Heels.”

Erupting into Action

On May 18, 1980, Mount St. Helens erupted and blanketed the city in volcanic ash. Retired Meals on Wheels People Executive Director Joan Smith and her 2-year-old daughter delivered meals after the explosion.

“You had your mask on,” she recalled. “You tried to stir up as little ash and dust as possible, make your deliveries.”

Horsepower to the Rescue

In 1996, the Willamette River experienced a major flooding. Retired Meals on Wheels People Executive Director Joan Smith remembered that the Clackamas County sheriff’s department helped deliver meals on horseback.

Revving Up Meal Delivery

Ester McGinnis co-founded the Southwest (Portland) Loaves and Fishes Program. Once it was up and running, she delivered meals for Meals on Wheels People on a motorcycle well into her 80s.

“She believed one person could make a difference and she proved it,” her obituary read.

She died in 2019 at 92 years old.

Meals on Two Wheels

Some volunteers take to their bikes to deliver meals. For many years, Bruce McCormmach would load up his bike trailer with meals, fruits, and other essentials and pedal his way through the downtown streets, rain or shine.

“Everybody was used to seeing me show up in my bike gear,” he says.

Now 74, Bruce still delivers meals every week — just by car instead of bike.

“It anchors my week. I’ve got something to look forward to. It’s special to me. A lot of these people I’ve been seeing for almost a decade. You know these people. You understand their circumstances. You can tell if there are problems. You get attuned to that. That’s important. That’s part of the job. And part of the reward of doing the deliveries.”

Snow Problem

When the occasional winter storm brings the city to a grinding halt, it’s not uncommon for volunteers to brave the winter cold and take to the sidewalks or offer their four-wheel-drive vehicles to navigate the ice and snow.

In 2008, Cynthia Stowell and her husband, John Miller, made their way over snowy Portland streets to deliver meals to about a dozen apartment residents.

And the Queen’s Award Goes To

In 2019, Meals on Wheels People won the Queens Award for the most creative float in the Rose Festival Grand Floral Parade. The float featured a Senior-Senior Court made up of meal recipients who were nominated by their dining centers. As the 2019 official charity for the Portland Rose Festival Foundation, Meals on Wheels People volunteers also received recognition for the nearly 90,000 hours they donate every year to serve older adults in the community.

Pandemic Proof

The pandemic forced Meals on Wheels People to rethink its entire way of doing business in a very short amount of time. Not only did the demand for meals increase by thousands, but the nature of the virus also made safely delivering them a difficult undertaking. To limit exposure, deliveries were shifted to once a week.

“It’s opened up doors to do things differently into the future, which will ultimately serve our seniors better,” says Meals on Wheels People CEO Suzanne Washington.

Filled with Generosity

In 2020, Corey Rust of Envi Adventures wanted to do something for others, so he invited the community to the Troutdale Airport and Pearson Airfield to fill his plane with pajamas, fleece blankets, socks, postage stamps, puzzle books, and large-print books — and they did. The donated items were then delivered by the Meals on Wheels People Ambleside Center along with chocolates and flowers.

Going Green

Meals on Wheels People introduced a new vehicle into its fleet in 2021 — an all-electric van with a refrigeration unit powered by solar energy. The first of its kind in the nation, the van is used for Meals 4 Kids, which serves qualified children and families in Portland experiencing food insecurity.

Be Part of the Story

Whether you’ve got an hour a week or a few hours a month, you can make a real difference. Join our incredible team of volunteers and help deliver more than just a meal. Sign up today at mowp.org/volunteer.