meal services

meals express

Meals Express is the home-delivered meals program for individuals who don’t meet the traditional criteria. Meals Express is great as a respite for involved families, for those on bed rest, for those recovering from surgery, for those with a specific nutritional need and even for people who just want healthy nutritious meals.

The program holds a number of benefits:

  • Clients receive proper nutrition and companionship.
  • Caregivers receive peace of mind, knowing their loved ones are being checked on daily.
  • Meal-delivery volunteers receive satisfaction and feel a deeper connection with their neighbors.

Clients may receive two meals a day—a hot lunch and cold supper—both delivered during the lunch hour. These meals provide 2/3 of the daily recommended nutrition for a senior. In addition to the nutritious, delicious food, clients enjoy conversations and companionship with a caring FeedMore WNY volunteer.

meals express menus

April- Erie County Menu April- Niagara County Menu May- Erie County Menu May- Niagara County Menu
eligibility

This program serves a majority of Erie and Niagara counties. Anybody over the age of 18 who lives our home-delivered meals program service area can participate in Meals Express.

cost

Meals Express currently costs $14 per day for two meals (a hot lunch and cold dinner), which includes delivery. A two-week, non-refundable deposit is due prior to the beginning of service.

special diets

Getting our meal recipients the food that best fits their needs is the top priority at FeedMore WNY. For that reason, a number of menu options are available. They include:

  • Regular—Our regular menu primarily includes common food items with modifications made to control sodium, fat and cholesterol. These heart-healthy modifications include using 1% low-fat milk and sodium-reduced meats, and avoiding high-sodium seasonings/salt altogether.
  • Calorie Controlled (Diabetic or Weight Control)—In addition to the modifications listed above, this menu eliminates highly sweetened foods. Lower calorie substitutes for desserts (gelatins, puddings, cookies, cakes, etc.) containing sugar are included.
  • Bland—In addition to the modifications described in the regular menu description, the bland menu eliminates some foods that are a little more difficult to digest, such as tomato products, corn and baked beans.
  • Renal Calorie Controlled—For individuals on dialysis, this option has modifications made to it that control protein, phosphorous, potassium and sodium. These changes include the elimination of such foods as milk, tomato products, spinach, oranges, orange juice, bananas, prunes, dried peas and beans. It also includes a reduction of foods such as cheese and potatoes. Lower sugar substitutes are used for puddings, cakes and cookies. This menu does not provide a fluid restriction.
  • Ground—Ground meat (hot meal only) is available for participants based on need. In this option, whole meats such as chicken, roast beef, and turkey are ground from fresh meat when they are on the menu. All soft foods (casseroles, ground meat patties) are served in their normal state.
  • Avoiding Gluten—For those with a documented medical need for reduced gluten meals. These meals are prepared in a separate kitchen, adjacent to our normal meal production, with the key goal of avoiding contact with gluten-containing ingredients. A unit of meals consists of two parts – a frozen entrée and fresh cold lunch – each prepared in the FeedMore WNY commissary. To avoid cross-contamination, these food items are delivered in a separate cooler, away from standard meals that may contain gluten. These meals are not considered "gluten-free," but do have reduced gluten content. A doctor's prescription is required for "avoiding gluten" meals.
starting service

Applying for, and starting to receive our service, is simple. All you have to do is fill out the form in the blue area below, or call our intake department at (716) 822-2002, Monday through Friday, anytime between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. Be prepared to provide the following information:

  • Full name
  • Complete address (apartment number, zip code, etc.) and phone number
  • Date of birth
  • Marital status
  • Name, address and phone number (home and work) of one person who can be contacted in case of emergency
  • Physician’s name, complete address and phone number
  • Eligibility information—why are home delivered meals needed?

FeedMore WNY Social Workers will then work with the applicant or caregiver to arrange for meal service to begin. Most recipients receive their first meals within a day or two of assessment. More specific information on this will be provided when you call to apply. All efforts will be made to provide meal delivery service as soon as possible.

weekend and blizzard boxes

For our most vulnerable, long-term clients, FeedMore WNY provides meals seven days a week—including Saturdays, Sundays and holidays when the agency is closed. A dietitian will assess whether weekend and holiday meals are needed. For those clients who receive them, weekend meals are delivered frozen on Thursday with the recipients’ regular delivery.

Each fall, FeedMore WNY reminds its home-delivered meal program clients to stock up on emergency foods for the winter months. “Blizzard Boxes” are also assembled, containing a one-day supply of canned goods. The boxes are delivered to participants who are at highest risk and to police stations throughout our service area. In the rare event that service is cancelled due to a severe storm, the police assist in delivering the “Blizzard Boxes.”

frequently asked questions

Q: What communities does FeedMore WNY's home-delivered meal program serve?
A: Our delivery area encompasses the majority of Erie and Niagara counties. This includes the City of Buffalo and most of the surrounding areas, including: Akron, Angola, Blasdell, Boston, Cheektowaga, Clarence, Colden, Concord, Depew, Derby, East Aurora, Eden, Elma, Evans, Farnham, Hamburg, Holland, Lackawanna, Lancaster, Marilla, Newstead, Orchard Park, Sardinia, Sloan, South Wales, Springville, and West Seneca, as well as Lockport, Lewiston, Niagara Falls, North Tonawanda and the surrounding areas. If you live outside of our service area, we can refer you to the closest/most convenient Meals on Wheels agency.

Q: How are meals delivered?
A: Getting 3,600 meals out to hungry recipients in a timely fashion each and every day is not as easy as the agency makes it look! The process begins bright and early each morning, as the day's meals, expertly planned by FeedMore WNY's dietitians, are cooked and assembled fresh at the agency's commissary. The meals are packed in cold chests and ovens, then driven out to each of the organization's 25 meal-delivery sites across WNY. Several hundred dedicated volunteers take over from there, each delivering meals to 10-12 individuals per day around lunch time.

Q: How is your program funded?
A: The essential work done by FeedMore WNY is made possible by generous financial support from community members, local foundations and corporations, as well as through grants from the federal government, the New York State Department of Health and Office for the Aging, Erie County’s Departments of Senior and Social Services and Niagara County’s Office for the Aging.

Q: What meals are provided?
A: A hot meal at midday and a cold meal for supper are delivered five days a week, Monday through Friday, between 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. Both regular meals and special-diet meals are specially designed to meet the participant’s dietary needs as prescribed by a physician. The hot midday meal contains meat or an alternate, two vegetables or juice, bread, dessert and milk. The cold supper is a sandwich or cold plate, salad or juice, dessert and milk. All meals are prepared fresh on a daily basis.

Q: Are there days that service is not available?
A: All clients are eligible for Monday through Friday delivery. Vulnerable clients are eligible for weekend meals (see section above). FeedMore WNY closes only for the six major holidays: New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day. A process is in place to make sure that vulnerable clients receive holiday meals prior to a closure.

animeals

All home-delivered clients with pets are eligible to receive free pet food once a month through the AniMeals program. This helps ensure that clients’ furry friends are cared for and that clients can enjoy the benefits of a pet companion. If interested, ask about AniMeals during enrollment.

sign up for meal services

Medical personnel—Please visit our secure site to refer clients here.

Caregivers or prospective clients—Complete and submit this form. You will be contacted within 24 business hours of submission to continue the enrollment process. Note that you must complete one application per person who needs meals.

This form is secure, and FeedMore WNY makes every effort to maintain that security and ward against technological issues. However, you do enter information at your own risk. If you do not wish to enter your information electronically, please call the office at 716-822-2002.

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