Sutter Health enables Meals on Wheels Yolo County to sustain, improve, and expand service to seniors
by Jacob Peterson
To accomplish its core objectives of serving healthy meals and reducing isolation for 1,200 older adults, Meals on Wheels Yolo County (MOW Yolo) requires more than volunteers and goodwill. It also depends on sustained financial and operational support from partners such as Sutter Health, which has helped the organization grow its reach while staying focused on seniors’ nutritional and social needs.
Much of this support comes from the not-for-profit health system’s Community Benefit wing, which supports programs and organizations that address health disparities and improve overall wellness in the communities it serves. Sutter Health Director of Community Health and External Affairs Angelika Corchado says MOW Yolo is one of its most important partners in this mission.
“Seniors are identified as a vulnerable population in our community health needs assessment,” Corchado says. “Part of the mission of Meals on Wheels Yolo County is to be able to provide nutritious food to those individuals, and they’re doing that by breaking down barriers and meeting individuals where they’re at.”
Corchado notes the meals meet seniors’ nutritional requirements while also accounting for specific individuals’ dietary and cultural needs.
“They’re aware that many people might need certain types of meals,” Corchado says. “Whether that’s vegetarian or if a person is diabetic, they’re able to tailor those meals to that client’s specific needs.”
Corchado notes the connections MOW Yolo’s volunteers provide are equally as valuable as the meals.
“Seniors are identified as a vulnerable population in our community health needs assessment. Part of the mission of Meals on Wheels Yolo County is to be able to provide nutritious food to those individuals, and they’re doing that by breaking down barriers and meeting individuals where they’re at.”
Angelika Corchado, Director of Community Health and External Affairs, Sutter Health
“We know a lot of seniors suffer from isolation, which can impact their mental health negatively,” Corchado says. “Sometimes these volunteers are people’s only lifeline to the outside world because they’re bed-bound, or unable to drive, or have a medical condition.”
Volunteers get to know the people they assist, becoming familiar with their individual situations and learning to read the signs that something is wrong.
“They might raise a flag to say, ‘Hey, this person might need more assistance than meals,’” Corchado says. “You can tell they take the time to recognize the patterns and learn the ins and outs of those clients.”
Sutter Health has been a supporter of MOW Yolo for the past three years, investing nearly $320,000 in the organization over that time and becoming a sponsor for the annual Thanksgiving meals MOW Yolo provides. Sutter Health was also instrumental in the establishment of the Meals on Wheels-Sutter Health Senior Nutrition Center in Winters.
“[MOW Yolo Executive Director] Joy Cohan said, ‘If we have a centralized kitchen, we really could make the most of the funding we have available and serve more seniors,’” Corchado remembers. “When we toured the kitchen, it was an easy yes for [Sutter Healths’s Senior Director of Community Health] Kelly Brenk and me.”
This centralized kitchen not only allows MOW Yolo to better serve senior citizens in their area, but also extends its reach. As an example, Corchado points out that MOW Yolo now provides prepared meals for some of Meals on Wheels Yuba and Sutter Counties’ client base, as an alternative to that organization’s more costly contracts with area restaurants.
Through this cooperation, MOW Yolo helped remove more than 40 seniors from MOW Yuba-Sutter’s waiting list, while the new revenue stream supported MOW Yolo to expand food service to as many as 1,200 older adults.
Corchado says she’s excited to see how the partnership continues to evolve in coming years.
“We want to explore ways to hone in more on the mental health component,” she says. “They’re already in the homes with these individuals providing meals, they’re building relationships. They’re trusted by these seniors.”
For more information on how Meals on Wheels Yolo County can help you—or how you can help MOW Yolo—visit www.mowyolo.org or call 530-662-7035.
