Resident Feature

Fire at Meals on Wheels does not deter meal delivery

When a fire ripped through a storage room and damaged its Walnut Creek headquarters on Saturday, September 24th, Meals on Wheels Diablo Region never missed a beat. Despite the building being completely inoperable, meal deliveries and other essential services that keep seniors nourished and safe at home continued as usual Monday morning. MOW Diablo Region will not be able to return to the building for at least six months to a year. While seniors have not felt the impact of the fire, the staff and volunteers have had to make some major adjustments.

“Currently, our entire staff is working remotely,” says Caitlin Sly, Executive Director of MOW Diablo Region, “We have an incredibly resourceful and resilient staff and volunteers that always put our mission of serving older adults first.”

The organization is working to secure temporary office space for its staff while repairs are being done. “It is a difficult time for seniors, some have not bounced back from Covid and now they are struggling due to the high cost of gas and food,” says Sly. “We continue to see more demand for our services and the fire has caused unanticipated expenses that make our work even more challenging. No matter what, we are committed to being there for our vulnerable elders.”

MOW Diablo Region needs more volunteers to keep up with the growing demand, and donations to help them deliver meals and services to the increasing number of older adults who turn to them for assistance. “For many people, we are the safety net,” says Sly. “Without MOW Diablo Region, our clients would go hungry. We hope the community, who has been so generous in the past will help us by going to our website www.mowdiabloregion.org to help us recover.”

About Meals on Wheels Diablo Region: Helping over 7,000 seniors each year, our mission is to enhance the lives of older adults in Contra Costa County by providing coordinated care that enables them to live independently and with dignity. Our dedicated staff of experts connects seniors with essential services in Contra Costa County. We work to keep our elderly neighbors nourished, healthy, safe, and independent because we provide more than a meal. As our list of seniors in need grows, so does our need for more volunteers. Help us support more seniors in the county! If you would like to get involved, please visit our website. We have several open positions for employment, click here to join the team. Stay in the loop with our updates and announcements, “LIKE” and connect with us on Facebook!


By Zoe Broussard, Meals on Wheels Diablo Region | Photo By Sean McDonough