Photo (left to right): Meals on Wheels of RI Executive Director Meghan Grady, Portsmouth Town Council Vice President Linda Ujifusa, Portsmouth Multi-Purpose Senior Center Board Chair Helen Mathieu, Portsmouth Multi-Purpose Senior Center Director Cynthia Koniecki.
Meals on Wheels of Rhode Island announces it has partnered with the Portsmouth Multi-Purpose Senior Center, which is now the meal dispatch site for Portsmouth and Middletown service of the organization’s Home-Delivered Meal Program.
“Meals on Wheels of RI has been providing this much-needed program to homebound Portsmouth and Middletown clients for many, many years, along with seniors across the rest of the state,” said Executive Director Meghan Grady. “With this new partnership, we are helping to ensure our clients in Newport County continue to receive the nutrition and socialization they need to stay healthy and safe in their own homes.”
The Portsmouth Multi-Purpose Senior Center, a private, nonprofit organization, offers programming and activities for older adults to support their independence. Services include a “grab-and-go” lunch program, and the center offers membership to Rhode Islanders aged 55 and older; immediately prior to the pandemic it had 600-some active members.
Meals on Wheels of RI’s Home-Delivered Meal Program helps empower homebound older adults and other eligible populations to maintain independence by addressing food insecurity and social isolation as risk factors for poor health outcomes.
In 2021, the Home-Delivered Meal Program served 3,029 Rhode Islanders statewide with more than 357,000 home-delivered meals. In Portsmouth and Middletown, the program served a total of 98 clients with a total of 9,563 home-delivered meals.
The program’s meals are delivered through 21 meal dispatch sites throughout the state, including Meals on Wheels of RI’s Providence headquarters.
Meals are brought to the sites by the nonprofit’s caterer, Trio Community Meals, as fully prepared, complete meals that meet one-third of a senior’s recommended daily dietary intake. Meals are delivered chilled and may be reheated should clients choose to have them later than their meal delivery time.
Each home-delivered meal is accompanied by a well-being check and social visit with a Meals on Wheels of RI driver.
Portsmouth Multi-Purpose Senior Center Director Cynthia Koniecki can be reached at (401) 683-4106.
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