History of Meals On Wheels
Today's Elderly Nutrition Programs in the United States trace their roots back to Great Britain during World War II (1939). During the Blitz, when German planes bombarded English soil, many people in Britain lost their homes and, subsequently, their ability to cook meals for themselves. The Women's Volunteer Service for Civil Defense responded to this emergency by preparing and delivering meals to their disadvantaged neighbors. These women also brought refreshments in canteens to servicemen during World War II. The canteens came to be known as "Meals On Wheels." Thus, the first organized nutrition program was born.
Following the war, the United States embarked on its own experimental meal program. The first American home-delivered meal program began in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in January of 1954.
Lutheran Service Society brought the Meals On Wheels program to the Pittsburgh region in 1968, when it opened its first Meals On Wheels kitchen in Trinity Lutheran Church on Pittsburgh's North Side. At that time, there were 17 clients receiving meals.
Today, over 8,000 homebound elderly receive 2.1 million meals per year through the agency's kitchen sites in western Pennsylvania, eastern Ohio, and northern West Virginia. According to the Meals On Wheels Association of America, Lutheran Service Society is the single largest Meals On Wheels provider in Pennsylvania. The program continues to thrive with the help of dedicated volunteers, staff, donors, and community leaders.