LANSING, Mich. — A meal delivery service coordinated through Sparrow Eaton Hospital is celebrating 50 years of bringing food and comfort to area residents.
Thanks to an incredible volunteer base, Mobile Meals has maintained its operations 365 days a year for a half century. The organization has delivered nearly half a million meals during that time.
“It’s quite remarkable that the service has sustained itself this long,” said Sparrow Eaton Board Chair and longtime Mobile Meals volunteer Lori Pray. “The partnership of the hospital has been invaluable in keeping the subscriber meal cost low.”
Dr. B.P. Brown, a Charlotte physician, first noted the need for home-delivered meals to be delivered to homebound residents. He worked with members of the Charlotte Women’s Club to form a non-profit organization that would collaborate with what is now Sparrow Eaton to plan, prepare and package meals. The program is maintained by Sparrow Eaton, the United Way (which helps subsidize the cost of the meals), and the General Federation of Women’s Clubs-Charlotte.
“We are so proud to share that, even during the pandemic, we have not stopped this fantastic service to our community,” said Sparrow Eaton President Helen Johnson. “We’ve simply implemented protocols to ensure the sanitation and safety of both our volunteers and Mobile Meals’ participants.”
Potential subscribers are vetted by the hospital dietary team after being referred by their healthcare provider or family member. Subscribers pay $5 per day for two meals, with the remaining cost picked up by the United Way. The hospital prepares the weekly menu and packages the food daily. Volunteers deliver the food to participants’ homes.
For more information about the program, or to get involved, contact Linda Foster at 517.543.3041.
Check out other Health related articles in our Yes to Healthy Living section of our website.
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