AUSTIN, Texas — Meals on Wheels of Central Texas (MOWCTX) hit a major milestone Friday morning. The organization has now delivered over one million meals to clients since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
MOWCTX switched to a bi-weekly delivery system in early 2020 to protect the health of clients and volunteers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, MOWCTX clients have continued to receive two weeks' worth of frozen and shelf-stable meals every other week.
The organization hit the millionth meal milestone during a food delivery event at its headquarters on East Fifth Street Friday. Loading volunteers included teams from H-E-B, the University of Texas at Austin and Kendra Scott.
"[The milestone] is bittersweet, of course. It highlights that senior hunger is still a significant challenge for our community and it highlights the ongoing importance of the mission of Meals on Wheels of Central Texas," said Adam Hauser, president and CEO of MOWCTX.
Hauser said that MOWCTX's clients have been very grateful that the organization has been able to overcome the challenges posed by the pandemic.
"These are life-saving services. People need nutrition, it's critically important for vulnerable seniors – the people that we serve – to be able to stay healthy in their home, particularly during a pandemic when it's riskier for them to be out and about," Hauser said. "And so, to be able to continue to provide nutritious food for them so that they can stay healthy at home has been terrific and they're very, very grateful for it."
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