FAQ

FAQ

Our fact sheet will tell you more about Meals on Wheels of the Greater Lynchburg Area and the difference we are making in the community. You can download the fact sheet here

In General

How does Meals on Wheels Work?

Those who are homebound and live in our service area may qualify to have five nutritionally balanced lunches delivered to their homes. All meals are heart-healthy and diabetic friendly and are prepared fresh daily. A group of community volunteers delivers the meals, allowing the volunteer to perform a daily safety check on the well-being of the recipient. (When necessary, an emergency system is in place whereby help is summoned.)
We also have other programs and services. You can read more about them here.

How much does it cost to serve the homebound?

Every gift is significant to those we serve:
$5 pays for one meal
$110 pays for meals for one month
$1,300 pays for meals for one year
$26,000 invested in our Steward’s Society will provide meals ‘forever’

How can payments and/or donations be made?

Donors can donate online by credit card, or by mailing a check. Fundraisers and events have specific registration forms.
Mail to: Meals on Wheels of Greater Lynchburg, PO Box 1388, Lynchburg, Virginia 24505.
Or, donate online.

Do you deliver on holidays, or in bad weather?

Holiday service is evaluated each year, depending on when the holiday falls. Meals are delivered on weekday holidays.

  • We DO deliver on ‘Monday holidays’ – Martin Luther King Day, Memorial Day, Labor Day, etc.
  • For volunteers, if a holiday falls on your regularly scheduled delivery day, a Volunteer Coordinator will be in touch to confirm your availability. If you know in advance you will be unavailable, please let them know as soon as possible.

In the event of Inclement Weather (or power outage, etc.) if we are unable to deliver meals, or if meals will be delayed, we will post an announcement by 7:30 a.m. on WSET—Channel 13, and www.wset.com. We will also update the office answering machine if we are unable to deliver. Volunteers and recipients may check the office answering machine message at any time.

  • Updates are often posted on Facebook and our website as well.
  • Please note—we do NOT follow the City school schedule!
  • Volunteers are never expected to drive if they feel uncomfortable doing so. Even when major streets are cleared of ice and snow, if you encounter a side street, driveway, walkway, or steps that you deem unsafe, do not proceed. Call the office.

About our Service

Is there a fee for service?

Yes. The cost for meals is $5.45 per day, but we also offer a sliding scale. Currently, over 80% of the people we serve pay nothing at all. Approximately 12% use the sliding scale, paying what they can afford to help offset the cost of the meal.

How do you qualify to receive MOW?

Submit a Request for Service to Meals on Wheels via fax, phone, email, or our website. Recipients may self-refer or can be referred by friends, relatives, physicians, and social work professionals. Often the recipient has no family on whom to rely for this most basic human need. An assessment is conducted to determine the individual’s level of need, and services are offered based on the assessment outcome. If an individual is able to pay full price for meals, we request that they do so (about 8% pay full price). We also offer a very generous sliding scale based on income and living circumstances (about 12% pay some portion of the price). The majority of our recipients (over 80%) qualify for meals at no charge to them. No qualifying individual is ever denied meal service based on the inability to pay.

Which areas do you serve?

We serve the City of Lynchburg, and just into each of the surrounding counties of Amherst, and Bedford. We also serve a significant portion of Campbell County, with a remote meal pick-up location in Rustburg. View Service Area Map.

Whom do we serve?

We serve the homebound of all ages and all incomes. Because we do not accept any government funding, we are able to serve anyone with physical, mental, or financial hardships that make it impossible for the individual to either purchase or prepare food or has no one available to prepare meals for them.  Recently, our youngest recipient was 27, and we deliver to two people who are 102! Recipients are referred by friends, relatives, physicians, and social work professionals. Often these neighbors have no family on whom to rely for this most basic human need.

How do I refer someone for Meals on Wheels?

Contact our Program Manager at 434-847-0796, or go online to our Request Meals page to submit an application and begin the process.

How does the approval process work?

A member of our assessment staff conducts a home visit to explain the program, and to complete our assessment questionnaire. Our office will notify approved applicants at the interview or shortly afterward to let them know when meal service will begin. Meals are delivered between 10:45 a.m. and 1:00 p.m., Monday thru Friday.

Who prepares the menu?

All menus are prepared jointly by our contract kitchen along with our staff and reviewed by a registered dietitian.

Who cooks the meals?

We contract with the kitchen at Virginia Baptist Hospital to prepare our meals.

About Volunteering for Meals on Wheels

How long does it take to deliver a route?

Each time you deliver takes a little over 1 hour.

Can I involve my children?

Yes! Our clients love to see kids.

Do I have to be available every day?

No. We can schedule you once a month, twice a month, once a week, or once in a while.

Do I see the same recipients each time?

It’s possible! Most volunteers will be scheduled to a specific route, which includes multiple stops in that area. Of course, individual situations may vary from delivery to delivery (due to appointments, new additions, etc.) but we work hard to make sure the routes are consistent for both the recipient and the volunteer. That way you can develop a relationship with those on your route.
Some volunteers prefer not to be scheduled on a specific route, but to be a ‘regular substitute’ instead.  Each week upcoming openings in the schedule are posted on line, and the volunteer can sign up for the routes that suit them.

Do I need a car?

Someone needs a vehicle. As a best practice, we suggest delivering with a partner: one person drives and the other navigates the route. If you do not have a car, volunteer with a socially safe friend or family member who does. It is more fun to volunteer with someone, but also easy to do alone.

Can I volunteer for nights and weekends?

We do not deliver meals on the weekends or evenings. However, there may be an a la Carte Opportunity that will work for you!

How can I help if I don’t drive, or cannot deliver lunch?

Go to Ways-To-Support or a la carte Opportunities for suggestions about other ways you can help. We call these our ‘a la Carte’ volunteer opportunities – things outside the normal meal delivery time.

Why volunteer?

You can make a difference in the lives of our homebound neighbors! Some of our recipients depend solely on volunteers to deliver their meals at lunchtime. For some, this may be the only meal they have all day. Also, for many of our clients, the volunteer who delivers their meal may be the only person that they interact with all day.

How do I volunteer?

Contact our Volunteer Coordinator at 434-847-0796, or go online to Apply Now and submit an application and begin the process.

Can I volunteer to complete community service hours?

Typically, due to the required completion time, the training involved, and limited daily hours, delivering meals is not a good match for community service hours. Lynchburg Daily Bread, Parkview Community Mission, and Salvation Army are local non-profits that can sometimes utilize volunteers with community service requirements.


Meals on Wheels’ audit and IRS 990 form are available upon request through the office.