This is a special edition of Behind the Meal. We'll here from attendees at the Meals on Wheels America Conference in San Antonio Texas.

In this episode, I'll talk to Suzanne Washington the CEO of Meals on Wheels People, which serves counties in 2 states,  Oregon and Washington. We’ll be talking about the need to be flexible, understanding the needs of the community you serve, and running a restaurant. 

Today we have Debbie Sprouse the Executive Director of Asheville and Buncombe County Meals on Wheels in North Carolina. She has been with the program for over 10 years in different roles and served in her current position since 2020. She led them through the Covid 19 Pandemic and in 2024 one of the worst hurricanes in recent history to hit the United States, Hurricane Helene. Debbie also serves on the board of Meals on Wheels North Carolina.

https://www.mowabc.org/

On this episode I’ll be talking with Chris Culak, Vice President of Development and Strategy at Visiting Nurse Association of Texas, VNA oversees the Meals on Wheels program for Dallas County Texas. We’ll discuss the importance of legislative advocacy, VNA’s long history in Texas, and providing services beyond just a meal. I’m your host Dave Colling, all this and more coming up on Behind the Meal. 

https://www.vnatexas.org/

On this episode of Behind the Meal, I talk to Rich Zeck, Executive Director of the Pitt County Council on Aging in Greenville North Carolina. We’ll discuss some of the challenges they face that hit very close to home to anyone familiar with meals on wheels, and the way they not only overcome these challenges but thrive while providing services far beyond just a meal.

Today, we're joined by Jennifer Kanney-Beebe, Director of Home and Community Based Services at Vantage, overseeing Meals on Wheels Northeast Ohio. Her background as a licensed Social Worker and licensed Professional Clinical Counselor offers valuable insights into helping the community beyond just providing meals. We also have Nora Logsdon, a Dietitian and Project Development Manager who has been with Vantage for 40 years. Nora will share the history of both Vantage and Meals on Wheels, and the essential services they provide across Northeast Ohio.

This episode of Behind the Meal we'll meet Beth Shapiro from Citymeals on Wheels in New York City. Citymeals on Wheels serves one of the densest populated areas in the country, which also happens to be one of the most diverse. We’ll learn about the pearls of delivering in New York traffic and about the partnerships that Citymeals on Wheels depends on to keep feeding their seniors.

 I'm excited to talk to Chuck Jackson, the Director of Senior Services for Wayne County in Michigan. Chuck oversees virtually all of the Meals on Wheels Programs in Wayne County, outside of Detroit. We’ll dive into the intersections of government and nonprofit work, and the challenges of finding enough volunteers to meet community needs. We'll also touch on the incredible gratitude of the seniors who receive these meals, and how that appreciation keeps us all coming back.

In this episode of Behind the Meal, I’ll be talking with Jen Steele We’ll learn about her journey from volunteering a soup kitchen in Ohio to CEO of Meals on Wheels San Francisco., Along the way we’ll discuss delivering meals to high rises, how traffics might affect your programs bottom line, and even a little bout robots.

In this episode of Behind the Meal, I’ll be talking with Jennifer Hoffman from Meals on Wheels Erie, Jennifer has a long history with Meals on Wheels in Erie Pennsylvania from board member to Executive Director. We’ll hear about the amazing partnerships that keep this Meals on Wheels program strong and a little about what its like to deliver meals in some of the worst snow storms to hit the country last year.