More Than a Meal: Bonus Pantry Packs

At Meals on Wheels, we deliver lunches to over 250 clients daily who sometimes would not otherwise have any food. However, these neighbors’ needs do not end when all the lunches have been delivered. What do our clients do when snowy or icy conditions force us to close for the day?

Since 2022, we have been proud to partner with the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank to get shelf-stable food to our clients. These Bonus Pantry Packs are, on average, 14 pounds and usually consist of canned vegetables and fruit, canned meat (either tuna or chicken), peanut butter, mac and cheese, cereal, shelf-stable milk (16 oz), pasta, pasta sauce, canned beans, and soup.

We also receive fresh produce items from the food bank, such as apples and plums. Many of our clients cannot prepare meals for themselves, so we’ve worked with the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank to provide fresh fruit when available.

These packs are delivered at no additional cost to the client. Bonus Pantry packs are especially useful when preparing for inclement weather, helping clients recover from a recent procedure, and providing pantry essentials to supplement the ready-to-eat meals delivered daily.