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Meals-on-Wheels of Johnson and Ellis Counties is constructing a 24,470 square foot regional Kitchen Facility that will be located centrally in the organization's 1,700+ square mile service area, covering all of Johnson and Ellis counties. Initially, the kitchen will be preparing 2,000 meals per day—a combination of hot, noontime and breakfast meals. Currently, nearly 3,000 homebound elderly in 24 communities are being served, with 50% of these residing throughout Johnson County.
In a combined effort, the Johnson County Rotary clubs (Cleburne, Burleson Morning and Burleson Noonday) have committed to provide two mobile warming cabinets for the new Meals-on-Wheels regional Kitchen Facility, for a total cost of $10,906 ($5,453 each). These will be used to hold prepared food prior to it being plated for delivery to the homebound elderly. The matching District Grant will help fund these necessary commercial items to prepare meals at its opening in 2014.
Rotary has long been a part of the organization's 35 year history in serving the elderly in Johnson County, and Rotarians and their families have benefitted from its services today, and over the years.
For this project, Rotarians gathered information and collaborated with Meals-on-Wheels to put the funds and grant together based on the needs of the Kitchen project. Presentations were made to the current Club Presidents, Boards, and Clubs where necessary.
In addition, 35 Rotarians regularly volunteer delivering meals in Cleburne and Burleson, having a weekly route of their own. All three clubs have participated in the organization's annual Golf Benefit, as well as individuals personally supporting the program through financial contributions.
The new regional Kitchen will signifiacntly strengthen the program's local presence, enabling them to engage more people to join our Meals-on-Wheels "family," whether that is more individuals served or additional volunteers and supporters. The Kitchen will also give Meals-on-Wheels the ability to provide meals to neighboring meal programs in North Texas, summer youth programs, and other avenues yet to be determined. This opportunity will also help generate more revenue, allowing Meals-on-Wheels to serve more needy homebound people in our community. A regional kitchen facility also will be able to help other area organizations with emergency meals should we be faced with a local disaster of some sort.
This has truly been a combined community effort with residents throughout the organization's service area which includes local businesses, service clubs like Rotary, private foundations and churches donating in-kind products and necessary funding to complete the Kitchen Campaign project.
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