Meals on Wheels for Santa Cruz County will mark its 50th anniversary this year, and organizers are selling tickets for a Feb. 13 fundraising luncheon they say is increasingly critical as demand grows and funding pressures mount.
The 13th annual Food From the Heart Luncheon is scheduled from 11am to 1pm at Chaminade Resort & Spa. The Valentine-themed event will feature a catered lunch, silent and live auctions, a raffle, the annual Sweetheart Award ceremony and a “Fund-A-Need” pledge drive supporting senior meal services, according to a news release from Community Bridges.
Meals on Wheels for Santa Cruz County, a program of Community Bridges, has delivered nearly 10 million meals since it began in 1976 as the Golden Age Nutrition Program, the release said. The program provides close to 200,000 meals each year through home deliveries and congregate dining sites, supported by 14 staff members and more than 75 volunteers.
“Meals on Wheels is not just about food—it is about consistency, safety, and knowing someone will be there,” Community Bridges CEO Ray Cancino said in a statement.
Organizers said the luncheon is both a celebration and a major fundraiser meant to help stabilize services as costs rise and public funding remains uncertain. The program implemented a waitlist for the first time in its history after a county funding reduction last year.
“We have never had to tell seniors to wait,” Dana Wagner, senior program manager for Meals on Wheels for Santa Cruz County, said. “But rising costs and reduced funding have brought us to a point where demand is outpacing our ability to respond.”
Client surveys cited in the release found more than half of congregate meal participants rely on the program as their main source of nutrition, and nearly nine in 10 said it helps them feel less isolated. Home-delivered meal recipients reported the program helps them eat healthier and remain safely in their homes, the release said.Tickets, sponsorships, table-hosting opportunities and auction item donations are available online at communitybridges.org/ffth.
