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Our mission at Meals on Wheels of Wake County is to nourish, enrich, and strengthen the lives of older adults through daily meal delivery and human connections.
We serve lunchtime meals to over 1,400 homebound older adults and persons with disabilities in Wake County. Our outreach consists of hot meals to homebound individuals, communal dining for adults 60+ at our Friendship Cafes, and frozen meal service for dialysis patients and other homebound individuals in isolated areas. Over 2,200 volunteers help us deliver meals Monday through Friday each week.
Meals on Wheels of Wake County was founded on February 12, 1974 with ten volunteers meeting at Hillyer Christian Church to deliver meals in downtown Raleigh. Since then over 11 million meals have been served in Wake County alone. Meals on Wheels of Wake County is associated with the Meals on Wheels America, which is comprised of over 5,000 Senior Nutrition Programs and 800,000 volunteers in the U.S. dedicated to ending senior hunger.

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Ashley C. McCumber

Sharon Lawson

Sara Walker

Beth Lowery

Jill Straight

Amy Akroyd

Morgan Arnold

Kelee Harding

Heyi Xu

Don Stump

Danielle Wooten

Madison Leake

Alyssa Wilson

Vanessa Edwards

Cynthia Cardenas Schweitzer

Jaz Axelrod

Kimberly Smith

Mikayla Poe

Melissa Evers

William Cole

Kenneth Denney

Don Kruk

Dermon Blythe

Jeremiah Robinson

Mr. Que

A great big thank you to Smith Anderson Law for delivering 28 meals to homebound seniors in Raleigh today as part of your Week of Service, and a huge shoutout to MOW board member Sidd for making it happen!

Thank you to the dedicated volunteers from @west_raleigh_rotary - ready to hit the road and deliver meals! #ServiceAboveSelf

Happy Halloween from Meals on Wheels of Wake County! 🎃

A big thank you to Mayor @janetrayecowell for spending the morning delivering Meals on Wheels in downtown Raleigh. Community leaders showing up for local seniors and often unseen neighbors makes all the difference in making a stronger Raleigh and Wake County for everyone.

That’s a good bingo! A huge thank you to everyone who made our first Bingo Night Fundraiser such a huge success. You all bingo-ed and donated your way to raising more than $65,000 in one night to support seniors across Wake County! Thanks again to @trophymaywood for hosting us as well as all our event sponsors and silent auction participants.

Congratulations to Pat, one of our second place winners in the @chapelhilltirenc volunteer appreciation program! Pat has been volunteering at our Apex location for the past 14 years! Over the years she has connected with many clients and become friends. She told us a story about how she made sure the friendly cat of a beloved client was taken care of after she had passed away. Our volunteers, like Pat, do so much more than just delivering meals. They provide friendship, sincerity, and passion to every client they meet. Thank you, Pat, for all the good you do!

A great big thank you to the NC State Masters in Accounting students who came out to deliver hot lunches and friendly visits to our seniors today!

Meet Ellen, a longtime Blair Drive volunteer and one of September’s winner for the @chapelhilltirenc volunteer appreciation program! Ellen has been volunteering with us for almost 10 years, packing and taking a route weekly! She says it is always better to give than to receive, and enjoys giving back to her neighbors in Wake County. Thank you, Ellen for your passion and hard work. We truly could not accomplish our mission without our amazing volunteers!

Thank you to everyone who purchased tickets to our Bingo Night Fundraiser! If you want to get your name on the waiting list, email sara@wakemow.org. We are excited to see you all there!

Thank you to @theblackfarmersmarketnc for donating fresh, local produce that was distributed today at two of our Friendship Cafes in Raleigh. Our seniors were so excited to get their hands on some fall produce!

Shoutout to the team from Cisco who came out to deliver meals and sunshine to our seniors this morning!

Water is back on and we are ready to go! All operations are back to normal on Wednesday, September 23rd. Thanks for everyone’s patience as we work with the park on necessary water maintenance.

Did you know that the Raleigh metropolitan area had the second-highest rate of food insecurity of any metro area in the country in 2020? This Hunger Action Month, we’re shining a light on senior hunger and the importance of access to nutritious meals. At Meals on Wheels, we help ensure that older adults in our community have access to the nourishing food, connection, and support they need to thrive. Together, we can help end senior hunger—one meal, one visit, and one neighbor at a time.

Join us on September 17th from 4:00pm to 6:00pm for our Open House! Come see what we're all about at 1001 Blair Drive, Suite 100. RSVP by tomorrow at: https://secure.qgiv.com/for/mealsonwheelsofwakecounty/event/mealsonwheelsopenhouseseptember/.

Meet Kamyria, one of our @chapelhilltirenc volunteer appreciation winners for August! This outstanding volunteer has been giving her time at both the Garner and Cary sites for a little over a year. In the month of August she completed 22 total routes! “I love the people,” Kamyria said. “They remember my name and ask about me if I don’t get to deliver to them sometimes.” She remarked on the smiles and kindness of the clients she meets as one of her favorite parts of volunteering. Thank you to Chapel Hill Tire for allowing us the opportunity to show our appreciation for deserving volunteers each month!

This calls for a celebration! 🎉 231 Meals on Wheels seniors who attend our Friendship Cafes now have vouchers to use at State Farmers Market locations thanks to the NC Seniors Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program! Also known as SFMNP, this program provides vouchers to eligible lower-income older adults to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables from NC SFMNP-certified farmers' markets. This summertime program is designed to improve the nutrition of older adults and increase business for local farmers and farmers’ markets.

Thank you @atlanticunionbank for making such a significant contribution to North Carolina communities! We love a company that puts words to action. Thanks for your investment in @wakemow!

Thank you so much to Doris, who has been a dedicated volunteer at our Wake Forest Home Delivery site for the past 13 years! Doris packs cold bags three days a week (unless she has to babysit her grand dog)and says her favorite thing about volunteering is seeing new faces. Congratulations to this dedicated volunteer for winning a top prize from @chapelhilltirenc as a part of our monthly volunteer appreciation program!

We are excited to honor Doug as our first place @chapelhilltirenc volunteer appreciation winner for July, completing 17 shifts! Doug has been volunteering at our Blair Drive location for the past four years, taking two routes per week and packing cold bags for seniors in our community. “I always enjoy seeing the smiles,” Doug says. Consider volunteering with us, like Doug, and help make a lasting impact on the seniors in our community!

93 seniors are now feeling a little cooler and more comfortable thanks to our partnership with Cool for Wake! Cool for Wake is a seasonal weather relief program that provides free fans to vulnerable residents who are adversely affected by extreme summer temperatures between May and September. Households eligible for assistance from the Cool for Wake project include homes where a child, senior, or disabled person is living without air conditioning. Your support of Meals on Wheels allows us to connect seniors with helpful resources that extend beyond mealtime needs! #morethanameal

Want to learn how Meals on Wheels of Wake County distributes more than 1,400 each day? Come to our Open House on September 17th at 4pm! Tour our facility and kitchen, and hear from staff, participants and leadership about what makes our program so vital. RSVP at wakemow.org/upcoming-events

Seniors at Garner Friendship Cafe had a blast today with employees from Duke Energy! Duke Energy Foundation generously granted Meals on Wheels of Wake County $25,000 through their Senior Economic Vibrancy Grant. These funds will support continued nutrition access and connected community for all seniors who attend our 10 Friendship Cafe locations across Wake County. Thank you Duke Energy for your commitment to our senior neighbors!

It's going to be a fun fall at Meals on Wheels of Wake County! From our fall fundraiser Bingo Night, to the biannual Comedy for a Cause and Open House, we look forward to seeing you at our upcoming events to support more seniors together! Get tickets and learn more here: https://www.wakemow.org/upcoming-events

🏆 Help Us Win $5,000 for Wake County Seniors! Meals on Wheels of Wake County has the chance to receive $5,000 from Atlantic Union Bank- but we need your vote! A $5,000 award would help Meals on Wheels of Wake County provide nutritious meals and friendly visits to older adults throughout our community, helping them remain healthy, independent, and connected. ✅ Vote for Meals on Wheels of Wake County: https://www.atlanticunionbank.com/nc-giveaway Please vote, share this post, and encourage your friends and family to do the same. Every vote brings us one step closer to making an even bigger impact for local seniors!

After a lifetime spent serving others through food, Chester’s story comes full circle. For 41 years, Chester prepared 800 meals each day for older adults in his hometown of Queens, New York. After years of arthritis made cooking difficult, he's now experiencing that same care as a Meals on Wheels recipient here in Wake County. Chester knows just how important these meals are—not just for nutrition, but for the independence, dignity, and connection they provide. “It matters a lot because a lot of people are home and disabled,” Chester said. “They’re not able to get out, they don’t have any family to fix food for them- so the meals come in handy.” He especially looks forward to seeing the volunteers who deliver to his door each day. "They're all fantastic," he says. "The food is always piping hot—I don't know how they do it!" With the support of our community, we can return the legacy of nourishment and care for the more than 1,500 seniors like Chester that we serve in Wake County. #morethanameal

Your continued support means the world to us! Start your recurring donation today at the link in our bio.

Join SolidCore for a Signature50 full-body class this Thursday from 7:15-8:05 am! All proceeds will go towards benefitting Meals On Wheels. Sign up today at: https://solidcore.co/studios/raleigh-iron-works

Meet Hallie, our newest intern—she’s enjoying the sunflowers and repping some of our latest merch. Heading out to see the flowers yourself? You can stop by our Blair Dr location and purchase a shirt and hat of your very own!

Today, volunteers are delivering a little extra care through the PEAs (Providing Elders Additional Sustenance) Program! 💚 Made possible through State Fiscal Recovery Funds, the PEAs Program provides two additional meals each week to older adults at greater risk of food insecurity. The PEAs Program is making a real difference for our seniors- thank you to all our volunteers who help us deliver these important meals!

🌡️ It’s a hot one today, and we have even hotter temperatures coming in the days ahead! Hot weather can be especially dangerous for older adults. People age 65 and older are more likely to experience heat-related illnesses. If you or a loved one are in need of a cooling center, you can find one at https://www.wake.gov/ 💧 Help yourself or a loved one stay safe by following these CDC tips: • Drink plenty of water, even if you don't feel thirsty. • Stay indoors in air-conditioned spaces when possible. • Wear lightweight, light-colored clothing. • Avoid strenuous activity during the hottest part of the day. • Check in on older family members, friends, and neighbors. ⚠️ Watch for signs of heat exhaustion or heat stroke, including heavy sweating (or hot, dry skin), dizziness, headache, nausea, confusion, weakness, a rapid pulse, or fainting. If someone has a high body temperature, becomes confused, loses consciousness, or stops sweating despite the heat, call 911 immediately. Thank you to all our volunteers who check in on our neighbors with each delivery to ensure folks are staying cool and hydrated! Let's work together to keep our seniors safe this summer. ❤️

Thank you to the good folks at @hilti for delivering meals to homebound seniors in Raleigh today!

Meet Jim, our second volunteer winner of the month receiving an award from @chapelhilltirenc ! Jim has only been with us for a few months out the North Raleigh site, but he makes a difference in the lives of clients multiple times a week, nonetheless! He says that on his first ever route one of his clients serenaded him with opera singing, which made him want to come back week after week. Thank you, Jim for your service!

Learning the route, sharing the love! 🚗💙 Volunteer Ambassador Donna rode along with new volunteer Sheila to show her the ins and outs of delivering Meals on Wheels in Morrisville. Interested in volunteering with Meals on Wheels of Wake County? Get started by applying at Wakemow.org/volunteer #volunteering #morethanameal #wakemow #morrisville

Meet Neosha! Neosha is one of our monthly @chapelhilltirenc volunteer winners from our North Raleigh location. In 2020, after her job went remote, Neosha found herself with more time on her hands and wanted to fill it by giving back to the community! For several years she had a designated route, but now prefers to pack bags for clients. Neosha says she enjoys seeing and getting to know the other volunteers at her site. Thank you, Neosha for all of your hard work and dedication to the mission of Meals on Wheels of Wake County! #morethanameal #volunteerappreciation #mealsonwheel #seniornutrition #raleighnc

Happy Father's Day! The seniors we serve include the fathers, grandfathers, mentors, and father figures who have shaped our families and communities. With every meal delivered and every friendly visit, Meals on Wheels ensures our loved ones continue to feel valued, connected, and supported in their older years. 💙

Happy Juneteenth from Meals on Wheels of Wake County! Please note, our offices will be closed Friday in observance of Juneteenth. We will resume regular operations on Monday!

A huge thank you to the students, staff, families, and community at @oberlinmiddle for spreading kindness (and breakfast!) to seniors across Wake County! 💙 Together, they collected food items and assembled 1,500 breakfast bags for Meals on Wheels of Wake County clients- enough to fill this van! Every bag is a reminder that small acts of generosity can make a big impact. Thank you for helping us deliver care, connection, and a little extra joy!

It’s always a winning game when you volunteer at Meals on Wheels of Wake County 🏒 ! #gocanes #volunteer #morethanameal

This National Pet Week, we’re celebrating the special bond between seniors and their pets. ❤️ Mr. Que finds strength and purpose in his loyal companion, Mike. “My dog Mike keeps me alive- I know I gotta wake up the morning, let him out. I thank God for him." For so many older adults, pets provide comfort, love and companionship. We're proud to support seniors like Mr. Que, and the pets who mean so much to them!🐾 #NationalPetWeek #MealsOnWheels #MoreThanAMeal #SeniorCompanionship

Today was a beautiful day to deliver meals to our senior neighbors! 🌞 Thank you to our wonderful volunteers in Cary who snapped this happy picture during their delivery today! #morethanameal #volunteer #cary

Rising gas prices are impacting more than commutes- they’re increasing the cost of meal delivery to neighbors who count on us every day. We’re grateful for the volunteers and supporters who help keep our wheels turning across Wake County. 💙🍽️ Watch @spectrumnews1nc story highlighting the growing need and the power of community support. Want to go further to help? Sign up to volunteer or donate towards the cost of meals at wakemow.org!

We’re proud to serve older adults across Wake County through our 10 Friendship Cafes and 11 Home Delivered Meal Sites! All of our sites work together to nourish, connect, and support our community every day. Whether it’s sharing a meal, delivering a smile, or making someone feel less alone, it takes volunteers across ALL of our locations to make it happen! There’s a place for you to make a difference- wherever you are in Wake County! Ready to get involved? Volunteer with us today and help neighbors age with dignity and independence. Get started at wakemow.org/volunteer 💙 #volunteeropportunities #morethanameal

☀️ Whew- it’s HOT outside! And speaking of hot… our meal delivery volunteers work hard every day to make sure the hot meals we deliver to local seniors stay hot all the way to their doorsteps. 🍲🔥 Our insulated delivery bags help keep meals warm and ready to enjoy, while our coolers keep cold sides like bread, fruit, and milk fresh and cool despite the summer heat. 🥛🍎❄️ #wakemow #morethanameal #volunteer

Meals on Wheels of Wake County is joining the @aclgov and @ncoaging in celebrating #OlderAmericansMonth by sharing how we champion the health of seniors! Today at our Capital Towers Friendship Cafe, we were joined by @americanredcross for lifesaving CPR training for the seniors we serve. #ChampionMyHealth

Wednesday was another amazing Comedy for a Cause at @craftybeerwinespirits ! It’s always a wonderful time to get together and laugh in support of our mission 💙 Thank you to our awesome host @ashleypcomedy and the hilarious comics who donated their time and talents! @mattlebroncomedy @thegregsbenedict @mattaintwhite @grant_janik @hackril_lavigne @comicdave1 @llibnotwal @laurenpolli @artsy_musa

Happy Friday, and Happy Mother's Day Weekend!💐 Mother’s Day is a day to celebrate and honor the care and nourishment our mothers, grandmothers, and mother figures gave us. For too many seniors in our community, the day can feel especially lonely and uncertain when it comes to something as basic as a healthy meal. In honor of Mother’s Day, we invite you to make a gift that celebrates the spirit of caregiving. Consider dedicating your gift today in honor or memory of a mother who shaped your life. Your donation will help ensure that seniors—many of them mothers and grandmothers—receive the meals and companionship they deserve. 💙https://secure.qgiv.com/for/mealsonwheelsofwakecounty/

Our longtime Morrisville delivery volunteer Nicola recently took new volunteers Joy and Lena on a Meals on Wheels of Wake County ride-along, showing them the ropes and sharing the joy of delivering more than a meal! Thank you to all of our wonderful volunteers for dedicating your time to our senior neighbors. 💙

Bill, a longtime resident of Raleigh, gets excited when talking about the derby. Not the Kentucky Derby - but the Kirby Derby, a time-honored pinewood car racing competition. What began in a small south central Raleigh neighborhood is now an annual event at Dorothea Dix park. Bill laughs as he remembers in early days, the permit was for 100 people to gather, but over 2000 showed up. One year, his treehouse was used as the central stage for the MC who commented on all of the action at “dead man’s curve”. Bill’s favorite thing about Meals on Wheels is that he’s first on the delivery list. “There’s no waiting. My meal is always super hot.”

There’s still time to vote for us on Target Circle’s list of featured nonprofits! Hurry and vote before June 30th so we can serve our community better. Here’s how: Step 1: Choose ‘My Target’ in the Target app or ‘Account’ on Target.com Step 2: Tap ‘Cast votes’ Step 3: Find us & vote

We’re grateful to have welcomed volunteers from JMP Software to support our Meals on Wheels mission! As a team they delivered meals and friendly visits to more than 45 homebound seniors in the Raleigh area. Hear firsthand from Mike, a member of the JMP team about his experience volunteering with Meals on Wheels of Wake County: "Today, I had the chance to meet Shirley during a Meals on Wheels delivery, and it reminded me why this work matters. Shirley said she’s met “really, really nice people.” She also put into words something I won’t forget: “A meal is companionship, too.” Spending even a few minutes with her made it clear that the visit isn’t only about what’s delivered, it’s about being seen, having a conversation, and feeling a little less alone. It was a privilege to meet her. The knock on the door may be quick, but the connection made stays with you a lot longer." Thank you, JMP, for helping make these moments possible! Your commitment shows how vital community involvement is in ensuring that every delivery brings not just a meal, but care and connection. 💙

This Volunteer Appreciation Week, we’re celebrating the heart behind our mission 💙 Meet Cindy, one of our incredible volunteers who delivers meals alongside her two kids. Our clients look forward to seeing Cindy and her kids each week, and those moments of friendship make all the difference. Thank you to Cindy for showing that a simple act of kindness can create lasting bonds across generations! And thank you to all our volunteers who make this work possible every single day. #VolunteerAppreciationWeek

When Michael starts his volunteering shift at Blair Drive, there is often a tiny volunteer assistant following closely behind. Michael’s dog Beau has been helping deliver Meals on Wheels for the past 3 years! "Beau and I started volunteering together six years ago. Ruth, my wife, had him become a certified therapy dog – she thought it may be fun if he came with me. That’s why he’s so good with people - it feels natural for him to go up to people’s places." Beau brightens the day of the seniors that Michael delivers to; "They spoil him just like I do. I have to cut his treats down on Meals on Wheels delivery day because of all the treats folks want to give him!" This Volunteer Appreciation Week, we honor all of the volunteers (human and canine alike!) who make deliveries special for our senior neighbors. 🐾

Happy Earth Day! 🌎Our main office is located in the beautiful @dixpark , a great place to get outside!

This Volunteer Appreciation Week, we’re proud to celebrate Larry Rappl, our Driver of the Year! 🚗💙 A dedicated volunteer in Cary, Larry is known for his warm smile, reliability, and genuine care for every senior he serves. Whether stepping in at the last minute or making his regular rounds, he brings more than just meals—he delivers kindness, connection, and consistency. To honor Larry's service, @chapelhilltirenc gave him a $250 gift certificate for vehicle service! Thank you, Larry, for showing up time and time again and truly embodying our mission. You make a difference every single day. 👏

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