Meals on Wheels of Ocean County (MOWOC) is More Than Meals! We deliver 1,000 hot meals and provide social contact and vital wellness checks every day to help homebound seniors live independently and safely where they are most comfortable – at home. MOWOC has been serving the community for over 50 years, showing resilience and perseverance during significant challenges. When Superstorm Sandy disabled our kitchens, we partnered with a local restaurant to ensure hot meals were provided, missing only two days of delivery. During Covid-19, we were a steadfast presence and partner organizations used us to deliver essential items to the homebound. Every day MOWOC proves that we are More Than a Meal, especially in times of crisis.

The demand for Meals on Wheels services to help seniors age safely at home is greater than it has ever been. Just ten years ago, Meals on Wheels of Ocean County received 20-30 referrals a month, now we receive 20-30 referrals a week. With over 200,000 seniors living in Ocean County the need for Meals on Wheels continues to grow, and we would be remiss if we did not tell you that funding to sustain our program is an issue that looms large over the organization. Meals on Wheels of Ocean County is a non-profit organization, not a government entity, and as such we rely on government subsidies (which are potentially in jeopardy) and private grants and donations from our participants, their loved ones, and the community to help us feed and keep our seniors safe. MOWOC addresses senior nutrition and safety, reducing costs that would otherwise fall to the senior, their families, or governments.

Meals on Wheels of Ocean County can serve a senior for an entire year for roughly the same cost as one day in the hospital or 8 in a nursing home.

We are asking YOU, the community, to make an investment in helping Meals on Wheels of Ocean County.

How can you help?

• Donate! Click here to help MOWOC be More Than Meals.
• Volunteer to Deliver Meals – MOWOC is partnered with St. Francis Community Center to deliver daily meals. Email volunteer@csimow.org for details and to sign up.
• Volunteer to help in our Kitchen – Every day we cook and pack 1,000 meals. Email volunteer@csimow.org to sign up.
• Become a Board or Advisory Council Member – We are looking for individuals who want to share their time and talents as a member of our Board of Directors or various Advisory Councils. Please call 848-288-9903 if you are interested.
• Invite us to speak to your community or organization to spread the word about how we are More Than Meals. Call 848-288-9903 to schedule a day and time.

The impact YOU can have on Ocean County older adults is indispensable.

Today, Meals on Wheels of Ocean County not only provides home delivered meals but also hosts the Stafford Community Café (onsite meals and activities) and Social Support Services to the seniors of Ocean County who are 60 and older. We also provide nutrition education and counseling to promote and enhance our participant’s wellbeing. Our drivers become a familiar friendly face to our older residents, they not only deliver the meal and a smile but the important daily safety and wellness check that our seniors and their loved ones depend on.

Meals on Wheels of Ocean County works with many amazing service organizations to help our older adults age in place. Some of our Community Impact Partners are St. Francis Community Center, Northern Ocean Habitat for Humanity (Project Home Repair), Catholic Charities, Interfaith, and Ocean Ride just to name a few. All these organizations work to help seniors remain independent at home by addressing either food security, transportation, mental health, accessibility, and socialization needs. The vision of Meals on Wheels of Ocean County is an Ocean County where all seniors live fully nourished lives, both mentally and physically, and we cannot accomplish this alone. Together we are More Than Meals.

Meals on Wheels of Ocean County is a frontline protector of senior health and safety providing daily social contact and wellness checks for our homebound seniors. Since June of 2024, MOWOC has called EMS or the police more than 30 times when our participants did not answer their door. In many instances, the seniors were found incapacitated on the floor and could not get up to answer the door.

This past April, one of our participants, Rose, did not answer her door or phone when our driver arrived to deliver her meal. A maintenance worker who was working outside told our driver that Rose was not home. Our driver noticed a grocery delivery sitting by the front door and thought that something just wasn’t right. Following protocols, we called Rose’s emergency contact to see if they could tell us where she might be. Our attempts to locate her whereabouts were unsuccessful so the Meals on Wheels office called the local police department to conduct a wellness check. When the police arrived, they found Rose on the floor suffering from a medical episode. Rose was transported to the hospital where she was able to receive medical treatment. If it were not for our daily safety and wellness check, we do not know if or when Rose would have received help.

Meals on Wheels of Ocean County often asks our participants for feedback on our services and their well-being. Here are some numbers that prove Meals on Wheels of Ocean County is More Than Meals and that we make a difference every day in our seniors’ lives.

• 98% feel more confident living independently due to Meals on Wheels of Ocean County
• 83% would not have a daily hot meal if not for Meals on Wheels of Ocean County
• 98% eat a more balanced diet because of Meals on Wheels of Ocean County
• 95% feel less lonely because the receive daily meals

We are More Than Meals.