Meals on Wheels of the Monterey Peninsula outlines expansion plans, says demand rose to about 725,000 meals last year

Meals on Wheels of the Monterey Peninsula plans a second community kitchen in Seaside and described a large expansion of home-delivered and group meals during a Monterey County news briefing on May 27.

"When I started here in 2020 ... we were serving about 250,000 meals a year," said Christine Wingi, who was introduced as a representative of Meals on Wheels of the Monterey Peninsula. She added that "last year ... around 725,000 meals a year," saying the rise reflected outreach to populations previously unreached and higher demand during and after the COVID period.

Wingi framed the program's mission as supporting seniors, adults with disabilities, veterans and underserved residents to remain independent "by nourishing their bodies, minds, and spirits while driving out hunger and isolation in our region." She described a mix of services: daily home-delivered meals that also serve as wellness checks, nine group dining sites that host social and exercise programs, and programs that arrange minor home repairs and accessibility adaptations for clients.

The presentation emphasized volunteer support: Wingi said the organization maintains a rotating pool of roughly 300'to'400 volunteers who prepare, bag and deliver meals. She described how volunteers and drivers often develop ongoing relationships with clients and sometimes discover urgent needs during calls or deliveries.

On funding, Wingi said the organization receives Title III funding for home-delivered and group dining programs and characterized the operational budget as "about $6 million," with roughly $1.5 million supported by county funds annually. "We're fighting to keep that money relevant," she said, noting advocacy work in Sacramento to sustain state and federal support.

Wingi also described a partnership with the SPCA to provide pet food for clients who otherwise feed pets from human meal deliveries, and a program that arranges home repairs such as ramps to help clients leave their homes for appointments.

Looking ahead, Wingi said a capital campaign is underway to build a second kitchen in Seaside, with a hoped-for groundbreaking in the fall and an opening in about two years. She estimated the new kitchen could serve up to 15,000 meals a day and said the project is "in partnership with the county." She directed listeners seeking services to the organization's website (mwmp.org) and said eligibility typically begins at age 60 but that the program will serve people of other ages who leave hospitals or otherwise need support.

The host closed the segment by thanking Wingi and congratulating the organization on the planned kitchen. The briefing moved on to Hitchcock Road Animal Services.