The local Meals on Wheels chapter serving Whatcom County will no longer provide “frozen to-go meals” for seniors who felt uncomfortable dining in public spaces during the Covid-19 pandemic, the organization announced.
Frozen meals for homebound seniors will continue uninterrupted. Seniors who used the now-defunct “frozen to-go meal” service will still be invited to participating senior centers, said Rob Vandine, director for Meals on Wheels and More (MOW) Whatcom and San Juan Counties.
“We’re trying to make sure nobody slips through the cracks,” Vandine said. “If they are able to come in and dine with us, we’d love to see them at any of our senior centers. If they can’t handle that, if they are homebound, we are doing our best to get them on one of our routes and reach out to them.”
During the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, seniors were unable to utilize senior centers for in-person meals, which are funded through both Meals on Wheels and the Whatcom Council on Aging (WCOA). A temporary solution was the frozen to-go meal service that was officially canceled in late January.
According to data from WCOA, in 2024, 30,000 frozen to-go meals were served out of Bellingham, the largest distribution center in the region. Roughly 1,300 homebound seniors in Whatcom and San Juan county were provided over 165,000 meals in 2024, and that number could grow in 2025 if more sign up and qualify, Vandine said.
For in-person meals at senior centers around the region, 270,000 meals were served in 2024, and that number is also expected to increase.
“Our Meals on Wheels program has been an outlier in the state due to our lack of a waitlist to join the program,” Vandine said. “The changes to the frozen program will help keep this a reality, and make sure our resources are being directed toward our homebound senior population.”
Vandine said nearly half of MOW’s funding comes from donations. Each frozen meal costs roughly $12 to make and deliver, Vandine said, while MOW asks for a donation of $6 per meal, though no client will be denied a meal due to an inability to pay. The frozen to-go meal program cost in total over $130,000 annually to operate, Vandine said.
Federal funding
freeze worried WCOA
One-third of MOW’s funding comes from the federal government, with 12 percent coming from the State of Washington, seven percent from Whatcom and San Juan counties, and three percent from city governments, according to MOW data.
When the Trump administration put out a brief but shocking memo on January 27 issuing a blanket ban on federal grants, leaders at WCOA and MOW were put in a frenzy. The order was rescinded two days later.
Chris Orr, WCOA executive director, said they have more demand for basic meal services, and a stoppage in federal funding would be one more hurdle to clear.
“Our clients and staff were surprised by the announcement, and worried about the program’s future,” Orr wrote in a statement to The Northern Light. “No matter what happens with federal funding, we remain committed to serving seniors. The need is growing, and community support is more important than ever.”
Vandine said that the Whatcom and San Juan region would need to adapt if one-third of its funding was taken away, but that they are in a good position to continue serving meals.
“We probably felt more anxiety than we’re used to. There was a little bit of stress in the air,” Vandine said. “A lot of clients and members were concerned. We’re unique from other Meals on Wheels in the state where we might be able to weather such a funding storm without much change in our services that we can offer.”
For more information on how to apply for frozen meal deliveries, visit whatcomcoa.org/meals-on-wheels-and-more, or call Robert Vandine at 360/733-4030x1023.
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