For years, Meals on Wheels has made a name for itself by delivering fresh meals right to the homes of needy residents.
Now, Meals on Wheels of Chemung County is doing it in reverse, at least for some of its clientele.
In addition to delivering daily meals to people who have difficulty leaving home or need assistance in other ways, the agency will provide the same service for people who come to its headquarters at 409 William St. in Elmira.
Officials on Wednesday, Aug. 5 introduced the new Meals on Wheels Cafe with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Meals on Wheels Executive Director Katie Boland said the project has been in the works for about a year and got a boost in the form of a grant from Excellus Blue Cross/Blue Shield.
“We’re excited to do this because we want to feed more people in our community,” Boland said. “We serve our clients, but we know that there’s a great need. We know that there’s homeless people and we know that there’s people that just are having trouble with groceries. A $6 meal that’s delicious, nutritious, and has everything you need is what we’re offering the community.”
Unlike a traditional cafe that enables patrons to choose what they want off the menu, people who come to the Meals on Wheels Cafe for lunch will get the exact same meal the agency serves to its clients each day, Boland said.
Representatives from the Chemung County Chamber of Commerce were on hand for Wednesday’s ceremony, and chamber President Jennifer Herrick-McGonigal said the cafe is a great addition to the Elmira landscape.
“When it comes to feeding people, nobody does it better. It’s another restaurant, something we can use,” Herrick McGonigal said. “It’s a place to come together and support others, which I think the community does really well. I think it’s very important.”
The Meals on Wheels Cafe will be open from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. weekdays. The cafe will be staffed by four paid employees, two of whom are from partner agencies Able2 and AIM, both of which serve people with disabilities.
The cafe will be a great way for Meals on Wheels to expand its services and feed even more people than in the past, Boland said.
“There will be people here to have fun with and hang out with, and that’s also going to be a way for our clients to be able to get out of the house if they want to,” she said. “If you’re a client right now and you want to come here and eat instead of getting it delivered to your house, all you have to do is call and make a reservation, and we’ll take you here for lunch instead of bringing it right to your house.”
For more information about Meals on Wheels of Chemung County, go to mealsonwheelschemung.org.
This article originally appeared on Elmira Star-Gazette: Meals on Wheels of Chemung County introduces its new cafe to Elmira
Reporting by Jeff Murray, Elmira Star-Gazette / Elmira Star-Gazette
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Jeff Murray, Elmira Star-Gazette | USA TODAY Network
