Meals on Wheels of Metro Tulsa, a Tulsa-based, community funded nonprofit serving homebound individuals with nutritious meals and essential services, received a $50,000 Matching Grant from the Helmerich Family Trust to support the organization’s mission to deliver meals and essential services to homebound seniors during COVID-19.

The Helmerich Family Trust will match all donations made to Meals on Wheels of Metro Tulsa dollar-for-dollar, up to $50,000. Donations raised in the month of April will go directly to purchasing meals and essential services for homebound seniors in our community during COVID-19. To make a donation to Meals on Wheels of Metro Tulsa, visit www.mealsonwheelstulsa.org/donate.

With Safer-at-Home orders for Tulsa and surrounding communities, Meals on Wheels of Metro Tulsa has seen an increase in demand for their services.

In the past two weeks alone, the organization has increased its meal delivery from 1,000 to 2,700 meals per day. Since March 1, Meals on Wheels of Metro Tulsa has seen a 200 percent increase in new applications for services.

This has pushed the organization to increase production capacity from 1,200 to 4,000 meals per day.

To ensure operations run smoothly during this time, the organization shifted its delivery model on March 23. This includes using a smaller number of paid drivers, in place of volunteer drivers, to make weekly meal deliveries to homebound seniors.

Each delivery includes one week worth of meals that can be stored in the freezer.

Volunteers can then stay at home and conduct wellness checks by phone to homebound seniors.

For information and how to apply, go to www.mealsonwheelstulsa.org/apply.

To volunteer remotely with Meals on Wheels of Metro Tulsa, visit www.mealsonwheelstulsa.org/volunteer.