On December 7th, 2017 Keystone Community Services hosted the delivery of the 100,000th meal from the Metro Meals on Wheels Kitchen of Opportunities. Minnesota United Soccer team brought a little star power to the program – team players and the team mascot delivered the 100,000th meal from Keystone’s Meals on Wheels program.
“Our volunteers and staff are excited to celebrate this milestone with the Kitchen of Opportunities,” said Mary McKeown, President and CEO of Keystone. “And we are proud to partner with Minnesota United as they become more involved in our Saint Paul community.”
Keystone’s Meals on Wheels program serves homebound elderly and adults with disabilities who struggle to prepare a nutritious meal on their own. The organization is looking forward to the new partnership with Metro Meals on Wheels’ Kitchen of Opportunities, which opened for operation earlier this year. McKeown said that having the meals prepared by a trusted partner using from-scratch recipes and fresh local ingredients will offer “Keystone Meals on Wheels participants’ tasty, high quality meals.”
Our Meals on Wheels program is more than just a meal, said McKeown. For over 40 years, dedicated volunteers from throughout the community have personally delivered the meals each day. “One of the things that makes Keystone’s Meals on Wheels program special is that a hot meal is delivered daily and includes a visit with a trained volunteer,” she explained. The visit not only reduces isolation, but also serves as an important safety check for some seniors. “We have countless stories of volunteers who noticed a senior who didn’t quite seem like themselves,” said McKeown. “And when that volunteer reported back to Keystone, we were able to intervene, sometimes in a significant, life-saving way.”