Learning, emotional development and life skills flourish when students have engagement opportunities beyond the classroom. Volunteering is one such opportunity. When students engage with their community by giving back or supporting a mission they believe in, they foster a greater sense of purpose and enjoy many positive outcomes, like stronger social connections, more confidence, increased happiness and improved well-being. 

Meals on Wheels invites schools and student groups in Northern Kentucky to engage locally with purpose. When you join our volunteer community, you gain valuable life skills as you help us drive our mission. 

Who We Are and Who We Serve

Every year, Meals on Wheels of Southwest Ohio and Northern Kentucky reaches nearly 11,000 older adults with nutrition, connection and protection. We provide home-delivered meals, congregate meals in group settings, transportation, social and protective services, pet support, social connection programs and management of the OTR Senior Center. Our mission is to deliver essential services that promote the independence and well-being of seniors. We help them age with independence and dignity.

Our service reach includes eight counties in Kentucky (Boone, Kenton, Campbell, Carroll, Pendleton, Grant, Gallatin and Owen) and five in Ohio (Hamilton, Butler, Warren, Clinton and Clermont). In the Commonwealth, we deliver over 700 meals every weekday. Our headquarters are located in Cincinnati with satellite sites in Independence, Kentucky, and Middletown, Ohio. We partner with 24 senior centers in both states to provide group meals. 

How Volunteers Drive the Mission

Meals on Wheels employs full-time team members for meal production, distribution and delivery—but our volunteer community is critical to our operations. They directly support our services by assembling weekly snack boxes, organizing meals for distribution, packaging pet food, creating birthday cards for seniors, spending time at our senior center partners and more. 

Here’s what that impact looks like by the numbers:

  • Volunteers assemble 95 percent of the snack boxes clients receive with their weekly meal delivery. These boxes supplement seniors’ meals with shelf-stable items like crackers, cookies and juice boxes.
  • Volunteers assemble 100 percent of the pet food bags we provide through our pet support program. In 2025, they packaged a total of 12,451 pet food bags (9,663 bags of dog food and 2,788 bags of cat food).
  • Volunteers made 3,597 birthday bags for seniors in 2025. Each bag is uniquely decorated and includes small gifts like handheld games, snacks, toiletries and handmade cards. They brighten our clients’ day with every delivery!

What Students Gain as Volunteers

When students volunteer with organizations impacting their neighbors and community members, the outcomes are profoundly positive. 

Community engagement strengthens practical skills that benefit students’ short- and long-term learning. It gives them tools to sharpen critical thinking, communication, leadership and social skills as they invest their time in purpose-driven activities. It also provides a welcome break from pressures they may feel in school or with extracurriculars. By working with others towards a common goal that benefits others, they practice collaboration and teamwork. 

Volunteering produces just as meaningful individual benefits, too. It can reduce the negative impacts of anxiety and depression and foster feelings of purpose, belonging and inclusion. 

As it relates to their academic work and preparedness for the future, Gallup reports, “participating in service is strongly associated with skills and mindsets that help young people thrive.” The study surveyed more than 3,000 young people aged 12 to 25 from across the U.S. Through activities like volunteering, young people feel greater confidence and, poignantly, greater resilience in the face of problems and challenges. 

Data from the study revealed: 

  • 52 percent of participants say their service activities had a positive impact on feeling prepared for a future career;
  • 48 percent say they feel confident they can achieve the kind of career they want;
  • and 79 percent of young people say service activities helped them feel more connected to their communities. 

With these findings, it’s easy to see how volunteering is a win-win for students and communities at large. Investing time in causes that benefit others positively impacts young people during pivotal development stages, and nonprofit organizations receive essential support they need to drive impact for the people they serve. 

How Schools Can Partner with Meals on Wheels

Our volunteer engagement team welcomes schools, educators, classes, student athletes and teams, student clubs and organizations to our organization to help us drive our mission. Join other Northern Kentucky schools like Holy Cross High School, Highlands High School and Thomas More University as volunteers who make impact on our aging community members. 

Says Meals on Wheels Volunteer Manager Tammy Lawson Hitchcock, “We want volunteers to have a good experience while understanding the impact they are making in their community. The volunteer students and groups blend their learning with doing while building character. By volunteering, they show they are doers which can play a role in achieving their success and goals in life.”

Students can easily translate their volunteer commitments to academic scholarships and service requirements, too! We are happy to facilitate opportunities to support students’ goals. 

To get started, connect directly with Tammy Lawson Hitchcock at thitchcock@muchmorethanameal.org or 513-244-0668. Visit muchmorethanameal.org to learn more.