Meals on Wheels of Rhode Island | Nutrition Programs

Home Delivered Nutrition Program

The Home Delivered meal program began 36 years ago and is the largest component of the agency's activities. Currently, this program provides approximately 2,000 hot, noontime meals to qualified individuals five days per week throughout the state. The meals are delivered primarily by our dedicated team of over 1,000 volunteers.

To speak with someone about receiving meals or to receive additional information about this program, please call 351-6700 and ask for "Home Delivery" or e-mail dbrissette@rimeals.org. To discuss volunteering for this program, please contact Valerie Pauley at 351-6700 ext. 140.

Who Can Receive Meals On Wheels?
There are 4 basic requirements that need to be met in order to be considered for the Meal Program.

The person must be unable to cook because of a physical or psychological reason.
The person must live alone or have no help preparing meals during the day.
The person must be 60 years of age or older or be on a DEA or DHS Waiver program.
The person must be homebound and unable to get out on their own.

There are always circumstances that sometimes allow us to serve those people who need services but do not meet all of our requirements.

If an elder lives with someone who works full time, we do, at times, provide respite for the family.

If the person does not live alone but lives with an elderly spouse, we will, at times, serve the spouse who is ill giving some respite to the well spouse.

In all cases, a referral must be made to our office by either fax or phone. The referral process takes approximately 15 minutes. All information listed on the referral form must be completed. Specific diagnosis regarding medical conditions is critical since the more information that is given, the better understanding we have regarding the recipient's limitations and condition.

Who Should Call In My Referral For Meals on Wheels?
We accept information from a wide variety of sources. Family members and friends are the most frequent callers to our office. Discharge planners, social workers, doctors, nurses, home health aides and neighbors are all typical people who call in referrals. As long as the person calling has all of the information required it does not matter who makes the call.

How Much Will Meals on Wheels Cost?
We receive funding from both the federal and state government, but we do rely heavily on donations from meal recipients. Our suggested donation is $3.00 per meal, which amounts to $15.00 per week. We do not cancel services for nonpayment. If you are unable to make a donation for your meal on a regular basis, we ask that you give what you can when you can as every little bit helps. We do accept cash, checks and money orders.

Checks should be made payable to Meals on Wheels of RI, Inc. Donations are typically collected on Fridays. Donations may also be mailed to the following address.

Meals on Wheels of RI, Inc.
70 Bath Street
Providence, RI 02908

We also work closely with the Department of Elderly Affairs and the Department of Human Services in providing services to clients on the Waiver programs. The Waiver Program pays for the cost of the meal for qualified recipients. If you think you might be eligible for the Waiver program, please contact your social worker or DEA or DHS.

What does a Meal include?
The meal will arrive in two parts. The hot portion is delivered in a three-compartment tray which can be tossed in your recycle bin when finished. The meal usually consists of a main entree, potatoes, rice or pasta, and a vegetable. We also provide each recipient with a cold bag, which contains milk or juice, bread, dessert and occasionally, a salad.

The meals are prepared with no added salt or sugar and are not heavily seasoned. We contract with two (2) different caterers who provide us with a variety of menu items each month.

A sample menu for a day would be:
Garden Salad (not available on a daily basis)
Meatloaf with gravy
Mashed Potatoes
Green Beans
Gelatin (diet dessert is available upon request)
1% milk (can be substituted for juice or whole milk)
Bread

Do You Provide Special Diets?
We do provide some special diets. There are certain areas of Providence, Cranston and Warwick where we provide Kosher Meals. Substitutions are made for diabetics where desserts are concerned. We are also able to make some substitutions for the main entree. A chopped meal is available for those people who are unable to cut their meal. We are unable to offer therapeutic meals at this time (e.g. salt free, diverticulitis, lactose free, low cholesterol or fat free).

How Is My Meal Delivered?
We currently have 126 routes throughout the state. Most routes are delivered by volunteers utilizing their own cars. The volunteers are instructed to pick up the meals for delivery around 10:30 am. They are usually finished delivering by 1:00 pm.

In several communities we have paid drivers who deliver up to 68 meals a day utilizing Meals on Wheels vehicles. The drivers begin delivering around 9:00 am and finish at approximately 2:00 pm.

It is safe to say that you should have your meal before 2:00 pm every day, weather & unforeseen circumstances permitting.

Do You Deliver on Weekends?
No. We only serve meals Monday through Friday.

We are also closed for the following holidays:

New Years Day
Martin Luther King Day
Presidents Day
Memorial Day
Fourth of July
Victory Day
Labor Day
Columbus Day
Veterans Day
Thanksgiving
Day after Thanksgiving
Christmas

Can I Tip My Delivery Person?
We ask that you please do not tip the delivery person with money. They will gladly accept food or drink though.

Once I Have Been Referred for Meals, How Long Will It Be Before I Will Receive A Meal?
Unfortunately, we do have a waiting list to receive Meals on Wheels. The waiting period for meals can be anywhere from one week to months depending on the need for service in your area.

If My Doctor Calls, Will My Name be Moved Up On The Waiting List?
We will gladly accept any additional information your doctor or nurse may provide, but you will still be considered along with all of the other people waiting in your area. We have to look at all of the circumstances surrounding each case in order to make our decision on who should get meals next. We will not put someone on to receive meals unless we feel they meet the eligibility requirements.

Special Deliveries
We are sometimes, when the budget allows, able to provide emergency shelf stable meals for our clients. These meals consist of canned goods and dried foods that can be used in case we are unable to make deliveries due to storms or volunteer shortages. These meals are usually delivered in the fall.

We also keep a supply of frozen dinners on hand for those people on our waiting list who are in need of emergency supplies of food.

The Alan Shawn Feinstein Emergency Food Pantry for Seniors is also located in our facility at 70 Bath Street. Our goal is to be able to use some of the food from the food pantry to package weekend meals for our recipients who have limited means of obtaining pre-packaged food. We also hope to have enough food donations to begin an emergency food basket program for recipients in crisis.

If you should have any further questions or would like to refer someone to our program, please call 351-6700, fax us at 351-6724, or e-mail dbrissette@rimeals.org.