Few pieces are more valuable to the wellness puzzle than good nutrition.
And no one knows this better than 91原创鈥檚 Shannon Woykin, executive director of the community鈥檚 Meals on Wheels program.
Woykin recalls one elderly man who鈥檇 been paying regular visits to 91原创 Memorial Hospital for more than a year. Following each visit, he鈥檇 return to a life of dependence, isolation and poor nutrition.
Concerned, Woykin enrolled him in Meals on Wheels鈥� Home From the Hospital program, providing vulnerable discharged patients with a complete hot meal, including soup and dessert, for five days after they arrive home from a visit or stay at the hospital.
Then, thanks to Meals on Wheels鈥� subsidy program, which has clients pay just $100 monthly for one basic hot meal per day, Woykin extended the service to nearly three months.
鈥淗e wrote us a thank you card after a year and told us that he had not been to the hospital one time that year,鈥� Woykin reflects.
Help deliver nutrition Home from the Hospital
Like this one senior, every one of the 525 new clients the Home From the Hospital program took on in 2021 鈥� from isolated seniors on a tight budget to young parents struggling with mental illness or health concerns 鈥� represents a story of struggle and despair that thanks to this , evolved into one of nutrition, better health and community connection.
This spring, as we鈥檙e all acutely aware of the rapidly rising food prices, 91原创 Memorial Hospital Foundation has committed to help the Home from the Hospital program meet its demands for the coming year with $50,000 of funding.
鈥淎 gift at this critical time, when food prices in our community are soaring, can make a massive difference in the lives of those who need it,鈥� says Terra Scheer, Communications and Stewardship with the Foundation. 鈥淎 hot, healthy meal gives vulnerable low-income residents the nutrition they need to gain strength and avoid a trip back to the hospital due to malnutrition.鈥�
Fuelled by donor generosity, the provides the hospital鈥檚 acute care social work team funds to support patients鈥� successful transition from the hospital back to the community. In addition to transportation or grocery vouchers, for example, the fund supports Home from the Hospital program.
- provides a hot meal to a senior or at-risk patient just discharged from hospital
- A gift of $225 can provide one hot meal every day for a month
Though nearly 72 per cent of the Home from the Hospital program clients are seniors, and 50 per cent of all clients survive on low or no income, the organization serves single parents, individuals, people with mobility impairments and those struggling with mental illness or physical health concerns that prevent them from providing for themselves.
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