Meals on Wheels breaks ground on new headquarters

Meals on Wheels of Southwestern Ohio and Northern Kentucky, which serves eight counties in Kentucky and five in Ohio, broke ground on its new headquarters on Wednesday morning.

The move follows a roughly $30 million capital campaign that kicked off in April and will allow the organization to expand its services and reach more people.

“I had, over the last year, I had glute surgery, which made me unable to walk,” said 82-year-old Newport resident and Meals on Wheels client Mary Mitts.

Mitts was connected to Meals on Wheels through the Northern Kentucky Area Development District after her procedure.

“I was in the hospital, I was in assisted living, I was in therapy, and Meals on Wheels became so important to me because it allowed me to have my independence,” Mitts said.

The new headquarters is the old John Nolan Ford and Triumph Motorcycles dealership on Highland Avenue in Columbia Township north of the river.

While the organization will continue operating its distribution centers in Boone County and Butler County, Ohio, the new facility, which spans about 51,5000 square feet, will allow it to centralize much of its administration and operations, including food prep and delivery. CEO Mike Dunn said the organization is approaching the $25 million mark in terms of fundraising so far.

“We produce about 1.2 million meals,” said Dunn. “This facility will eventually allow us to produce 3 million meals.”

“Construction for this new meals production center is going to mean that the spaces that we work from, the building that we work from, really is no longer going to be a limiting factor,” said Meals on Wheels Board Member Mike Murphy.

Although the organization is known for its food delivery services, it also provides other senior-focused services: independent living support, legal guardianship, senior social programs aimed at reducing isolation, wellness checks and transportation services. In addition to more meals served, the new facility will allow the organization to increase the number of people served per year to about 30,000 (up from about 10,000 now).

Meals on Wheels has been sounding the alarm about the country’s and region’s aging population for a while now. Using federal data sources, such as the U.S. Census Bureau and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an analysis from the organization’s national office suggested that just under 25% of the U.S. population is aged 60 and older. Ditto for Kentucky. They also predicted the number would increase in the coming years.

As the population continues to age, the number of people who will rely on organizations like Meals on Wheels will likely increase in the future. Dunn emphasized that senior wellness wasn’t just about feeding people; it was also about addressing other issues that especially affect seniors.

“Certainly, we want to increase our current ability to address the negative impacts created by social isolation and loneliness, as well as hunger and bound nutrition among seniors,” said Dunn. “That’s what we do each and every day, but we have to do better. We have to do more.”

You can learn more about the Driving Into the Future campaign, including how to donate, at muchmorethanameal.org/driving-into-the-future. You can also read Meals on Wheels’ analysis of the country’s aging population at mealsonwheelsamerica.org/issues.