The South Bay is stepping up to help some of its most vulnerable populations, the homeless and the elderly.
Meals on Wheels delivers breakfast, lunch, and dinner to seniors and the sick, but with everyone ordered to stay home, demand has tripled.
“Last week we were scrambling, I was delivering Meals on Wheels myself,” said CEO of The Health Trust Michele Lew.
The organization needed many more drivers, going from 400 to 1,200 meals in a week. So The Health Trust, which runs the program, partnered with the city and DoorDash to ensure those deliveries are made.
“For many of the residents we’re serving they are home bound and they can’t even go and get their own groceries,” said Lew. “Some of them are so frail they can’t cook their own meal, that’s why meals on wheels is such a lifeline.”
For the pilot program that started Monday, DoorDash drivers cover the drop offs to homeless now sheltering at several motels in the city.
Driver Wilmer Hernandez said overall, his deliveries for take out are up, but it’s nice to also help those in need.
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“It’s been a beautiful experience,” he said. “It has made me very happy to help people, see them smile.”
The Health Trust is also hiring drivers to help deliver meals, as it’s deemed an essential service.
“The beauties of this partnership is that DoorDashers are getting their work, people are getting their meals and we’re taking care of our community,” Lew said.
