Meals on Wheels Donation

I just wanted to share some good news!

I’ve been volunteering at my local senior center’s Meals on Wheels twice a week for about the past two months since they opened back up after closing due to the COVID-19 pandemic. I enjoy volunteering there where I pack coolers, scoop food into containers, and hand the meals out to the drivers. I have even started taking some of their leftover and expired food that is destined for the landfill back to my compost pile at home (composting blog here). That way I am helping reduce methane emissions at the local landfill.

But something that stood out to me that very first day volunteering was their use of styrofoam containers to put some of the food in such as salad, jello, and pudding. As an ardent environmentalist a little bit of my soul dies when I see styrofoam being used (styrofoam does not and will never decompose, it just disintegrates into smaller and smaller micro litter over time. literally the worst thing you could use). So I walked away that first day with an idea of trying to get compostable containers for the program to use. After some searching on the senior center’s website I found out that in FY2018 they served 323 clients 58,971 units, so they used at least 58,000 styrofoam containers that year! Then I did some research on manufacturers of containers made from renewable resources. I reached out to three big companies by mailing them letters. I immediately heard back from one based in Colorado that asked me to fill out a donation request on their website. Magically the next day I had a donation confirmation for 8000 containers and lids. I was so happy and grateful. Huge thanks to Eco Products in Boulder, Colorado!

After some confusion from MoW staff about the size they use I ended up switching the order from 8oz to 4oz, but once the containers arrived I was told they would not be able to use them (because they do use 8oz). I was extremely upset that my good intentions were for naught and that I should have stuck with what I knew we used, the 8oz containers. But after calming down I was determined to find new recipients, so I contacted 5 other Meals on Wheels in Alabama and 1 in Tennessee as well as a local daycare center, homeless shelter, food assistance nonprofit, crisis center, and community house. Most didn’t need them, but three did. So I split the order: 3000 to Decatur Meals on Wheels, 2000 to Tuscaloosa Meals on Wheels, 3000 to Manna House. I’m just happy to have been able to help and that those nonprofits will be able to use the containers, as well as reducing styrofoam use. Every little bit helps. Thanks again to Eco Products. …And stop using styrofoam! …I think next I shall contact the Meals on Wheels food supplier, GA foods operating out of Guntersville, and petition them to switch from styrofoam, that way it’ll be a lasting change. And if you feel so inclined, then maybe you can reach out to them too. Let’s put the pressure on and get these companies to join us in the 21st century, where climate change is a public health crisis and our greatest worldwide threat.

And if you were inspired by this good news and wanted to share some joy than might I suggest you donate to Meals on Wheels here or to your local one. :)