Local couple pledges long-term financial and volunteer support to nourish more seniors in need
by Stacy Brandt
At a time when nonprofits across the country are grappling with dwindling public funding, community support has never been more critical. For Meals On Wheels Yolo County (MOW YOLO), that support often takes the shape of residents like Heather Hough and Bobby Batista, whose generosity helps keep the kitchen cooking, delivery routes running, and seniors cared for with dignity.
The couple feel strongly about supporting social causes in the area and were looking for an organization with a solid mission and leadership. Hough is an education policy consultant and Batista is the vice president of engineering and renewables for a construction company.
“We were really excited about the visionary work that Meals on Wheels was doing,” Hough says. “It was a great fit for us.”
They say they were impressed by the leadership of Executive Director Joy Cohan and the nonprofit’s three-year strategic plan adopted in 2023. MOW Yolo’s use of fresh ingredients and compostable packaging were also important.
“It’s really satisfying to me to be able to serve both as a volunteer and as a donor. It just makes that donation feel even more impactful. I know the people. I know how these meals are benefiting the community.”
Heather Hough, Donor and Volunteer for Meals On Wheels Yolo County
“All of those things really marked for us a well-led organization,” Batista says. “It’s an inspiring group of people committed to this mission and putting their love into the work.”
The couple signed on for a multi-year donation to the organization, and their support isn’t only financial: Hough also volunteers and delivers fresh meals to seniors.
“It’s really satisfying to me to be able to serve both as a volunteer and as a donor,” she says. “It just makes that donation feel even more impactful. I know the people. I know how these meals are benefiting the community.”
Not only does she help deliver food, but she also provides the often-isolated seniors she visits with important social interaction, occasionally having their children join her.
“A lot of these seniors are homebound,” she says. “Many of them are eager to have a conversation. The interaction is satisfying and gratifying.”
The couple’s support for the meal program comes from the family philanthropic fund they set up recently to support social services.
“We’re in a really difficult place right now as a country because of federal funds being cut from social services that a lot of Americans rely on,” Hough explains. “I see it as being a really important time to step up financially if you’re able to support these organizations, because if they’re not able to do the work, those people will not be served.”
MOW Yolo has been nourishing older adults for more than 50 years, with a mission to nourish and engage seniors in Yolo County and a vision that all seniors live nourished lives with independence, resilience, and dignity. The nonprofit’s strategic goal is to nourish as many as 1,800 food insecure, isolated seniors countywide by the end of 2028.
“With thanks to inspired private donors, such as Heather and Bobby, MOW Yolo has the potential to meet and exceed this goal to nourish more of the thousands of food insecure seniors in Yolo County,” Cohan says.
“Fortunately, as compared with other senior nutrition programs in the region, it’s not been the tradition to rely upon the government to fund this organization,” she continues. “There is an amazing track record of individuals in Yolo County stepping up to care for older adults. And, to see a young family like this become involved offers so much hope for the future of Meals on Wheels in this county.”
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.
