UNC

OCT 29 1973
TO: Mayor and Council DATE: October 26, 1973

*

FROM: L.D. Pollock, City Administrator

Meals _on Wheels Program

Iwas asked to examine the proposal for the establishment of a Meals on Wheels
Program for the City proposed by a local group. Meals on Wheels is operated to
provide reasonably priced hot meals to elderly citizens who have difficulty in
caring for themselves or who may be convalescing from an illness. The programs
presently in operation in the Lower Mainland vary and meals are sometimes provided
on a daily basis or perhaps three times a week to individuals qualifying for this
service. Meals are generally served at the noon hour and are delivered hot to

the door by volunteer workers. The program js in operation by volunteer groups

in New Westminster, Burnaby, Vancouver and Surrey.

The operation in each of the communities is very Similar and can be summarized
as follows: ,

1. The recipient pays a standard cost for the meals - $1.00 in New Westminster
and Burnaby.

2. They are operated by volunteers, generally by church groups. The Burnaby
operation is supervised by the Victorian Order of Nurses and in New Westminster
iy the Simon Fraser Health Unit with the City of New Westminster assisting in
the accounting and financing. Working through an established agency appears
to be an important part of the function in order to provide a central Location
where people can phone for this service.

Frequency of service varies, New Westminster are operating five days a week
and Burnaby three days a week.

4. New Westminster are presently delivering approximately 25 to 30 meals daily
and feel that this quantity can be handled with sone car and driver with a
hostess assisting. They feel that over thirty meals would probably require the
use of two cars. Burnaby are running three depots each serving approximately
45 to 50 meals per day of operation.

5. The service has a number of advantages in addition to providing a hot meal, it
provides regular visitation to the elderly people which they look forward to.
The regular contact enables the volunteers to assess whether or not the individual
requires medical attention. The operstors of these Programs indicate that they
do receive donations which enable them to provide such things as Christmas parties

for the elderly people.

6. With regard to cost the Burnaby group indicates that they onerate on a break even
basis relying on revenue from the sale of meals and donations. They seli the
méals for $1.00 and their cost is $1.00 through a cor.tract price with a caterer.
New Westminster report that they sell their meals for $1.00 and their cost is
85¢ on a contract price with additional costs in packaging and providing paper
plates, drinking cups etc. The City estimates that their total cost for the year
amounts to probably $200.00 ($4,000.00 per year in revenue and $4,200.00 per year
in cost). The municipality pays the subsidy. ,

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