Meals on Wheels People Celebrates 20 Years in Clark County
New campaign will create a permanent Clark County Hub to expand meal delivery
Meals on Wheels People celebrated two decades of service in Clark County at its Here for Good 20th Anniversary Luncheon on Sept. 29, bringing together community members, volunteers, supporters, and local leaders to mark the milestone and launch a $4 million capital campaign for a permanent Clark County Hub.
The new hub, located at 3307 NE 109th Ave. in Vancouver, will give Meals on Wheels People a permanent home in Clark County while expanding its capacity to store and deliver meals, respond to emergencies, and provide specialized nutrition services.
The luncheon at the Heathman Lodge featured stories from people whose lives have been touched by Meals on Wheels People, including Tim Centner, a participant in the organization’s Medically Tailored Meals program. A video featuring diners at the Luepke Center and The Diner Vancouver and the connections they’ve built through Meals on Wheels People captured the stories and connections at the heart of the event.
Meals on Wheels People began serving Clark County in 2006. Over the past 20 years, the organization has delivered more than 3 million meals to people throughout the community.
This past year alone, Meals on Wheels People provided 215,551 meals to 2,503 older adults in Clark County, supported by 271 volunteers who contributed 19,085 hours of service.
The organization’s Clark County services have also expanded beyond traditional home-delivered meals to include dining centers, The Diner Vancouver, the Diners Club, the Pet Program, and Medically Tailored Meals — nutrition designed around the needs of people managing serious health conditions.
For Tim Centner, medically tailored meals have become an important part of managing his health.
“My kidney function had declined to 23%, and at 20%, you go on dialysis,” Tim said. “I got really worried. I have to really watch what I eat. Since Meals on Wheels People, my kidneys went up from 23% all the way to 45%. I’m really glad for the meals.”
The Here for Good Capital Campaign will raise $4 million to transform a nearly 1-acre property on NE 109th Avenue into a permanent Clark County Hub. The site will include a new 7,500-square-foot warehouse and existing office space, expanding storage, delivery, and program capacity.
The project has already received significant public support. Earlier this year, the Washington State Department of Commerce awarded Meals on Wheels People a $2.7 million grant toward establishing a centralized hub for medically tailored meals and older adult nutrition services in Clark County.
The new warehouse will hold approximately 28,000 frozen meals — enough for up to four weeks of meals in an emergency, more than twice the capacity of Meals on Wheels People’s current rented warehouse in Southwest Washington. That reserve will help the organization continue delivering meals during severe weather, wildfires, supply disruptions, and other emergencies.
The facility will also eventually serve as Meals on Wheels People’s Washington shipping hub for its Medically Tailored Meals program. Because the organization will own the property, resources that would otherwise go toward renting warehouse space can instead support programs and services.
“Here for Good means being there when it matters,” said Jessica Morris, interim CEO of Meals on Wheels People. “We can’t know exactly what the future will bring. But we can build the infrastructure to be ready for it.”
Clark County’s older adult population is growing quickly. By 2035, more than 1 in 4 Clark County residents is projected to be age 60 or older. The new hub is designed to give Meals on Wheels People the capacity and flexibility to continue serving the community as those needs change.
