Meals on Wheels of Southwest OH & Northern KY is embarking on a $30-million campaign to build a new home and create innovative, scalable solutions that improve the lives of our community’s seniors and support families and caregivers with essential resources. Driving Into The Future represents the next chapter of our mission to deliver essential services that promote seniors’ independence and well-being.
Every day, around 12,000 adults turn 60 years old in the U.S. Americans are living longer, and more of our neighbors are living into their 80s and 90s. Meals on Wheels' services provide the nutrition, connection and protection to support their health and well-being on a daily basis.
Our flagship program is home-delivered meals, but we offer much more.
The Driving Into the Future Campaign will allow us to expand our services, reach more seniors and continuously improve the quality of seniors' lives.
Meals on Wheels has purchased property at 3251 Highland Ave., in Columbia Township in Cincinnati. Many people know this site as the old John Nolan Ford dealership. This location is easily accessible via Cincinnati Metro bus lines and provides easy access to I-71 and I-75.
Meet just a few of the near-11,000 seniors we reach with our essential services in these senior spotlights. They each have a reason for being a cherished clients of ours—and they each have a unique story to share.
Somewhere deep within the double helix of Asta Hellman’s DNA is a strand of stubborn independence. After a broken engagement when she was in her 20s, she wanted to start a new life, so she boarded a steamship, said goodbye to her native Netherlands and set sail for North America, knowing only one person on the other side of the Atlantic. Do not tell Asta Hellman she can’t do something. Read her story.
William Rankins Jr. always had a gift for seeing things a certain way. If you’ve ever been to downtown Cincinnati, you’ve probably seen his work. He was paid to get your attention after all, or inspire you in some way. He is a muralist—one of the first in Cincinnati and highly sought after during his time. For decades, he adorned urban life in Cincinnati with his paint and his vision. Until he went blind. Read his story.
It’s hard to count the number of lives Clifford Wilbon has touched. For 20 years he taught band or music within the Cincinnati Public Schools system. On the weekends, he was part of the music team at New Prospect Baptist Church, saving souls with the sounds of his trumpet. Helping others was always the key to the song of his life, whether it was through his teaching skills or playing ability, and he made sure he shared it with everyone he could. Read his story.
Laurel's creativity extends beyond the tangible—she has even dabbled in digital art, creating NFTs. When asked how she got into that, she casually said, "I taught myself. I love learning. I once heard a quote that says, ‘Once you stop learning, you’re dead.’ And I live by that." It’s clear she means it. During our chat, a few times I used a word she wasn’t familiar with, and she would pause, ask for its meaning, and then look it up on her phone. Her curiosity is infectious. Read her story.
Your gift to this transformational campaign makes a significant impact on our ability to serve seniors and promote their independence with essential services. Thank you.
To learn more about how you can support the campaign and the Meals on Wheels mission, contact Justin Beale, Chief Advancement Officer, at 513-244-5480 or jbeale@muchmorethanameal.org.
Media Contact: Natalie C. Koking, Director of Marketing & Communications, 513-244-5481 or nkoking@muchmorethanameal.org
