We recruit volunteers from the communities we serve as well as from businesses and corporations in those areas. In 1999, our volunteers delivered over 156,000 meals. General diets and special diets are available that include diabetic, low sodium, low fat, low cholesterol, renal and easy to chew. Food can be chopped or pureed, and meals are packaged in disposable containers. Frozen meals are available for weekends, holidays and for emergency service.
Meals are available for a week, a month or until no longer needed.
Eligibility to receive meals is based on peoples' inability to fix meals for themselves as a result of physical or mental disability, illness, or lack of a support system. There is no eligibility criteria related to age, income, sex, religion, race, ethnicity or handicap. We also provide catered meals to children and adult day care centers. Our main office and central kitchen is located in Crown Point, and we serve all of Lake County, Indiana except the cities of Hammond and Gary that have their own programs. Meals on Wheels of Northwest Indiana was established in 1977 to address a growing community health problem of hunger and food insecurity among the elderly in Lake County, Indiana.