[Hawai‘i Meals on Wheels staff members Ruth Palmer, logistics coordinator, left, and Doug Matsuoka, information technology coordinator, right, take time from their schedule to deliver a meal to a Papakōlea senior.]
[The following reprinted from Hawaii Business News, December 1, 2018. Click here to see the original.]Web site: https://rjn.vuh.mybluehost.me
Organization phone number: (808) 988-6747
Executive officer: Michelle Cordero-Lee, Chief Executive Office
Chairman: Ross Esaki, President, Board of Directors
Organization’s mission statement: Hawai‘i Meals on Wheels is dedicated to helping Oahu’s elders and individuals with disabilities preserve their independence at home. We do this primarily by providing hot, nutritious meals and regular personal interaction with those we serve.
History of the organization: Hawai‘i Meals on Wheels was founded in 1979 by former State of Hawaiʻi librarian Irmgard Hörmann and the Social Ministries Committee of the Lutheran Church of Honolulu to provide a basic nutritional and human support system for their isolated, disabled, and frail elderly neighbors. Eight other founding churches joined this effort, including Central Union Church, Church of the Crossroads, Manoa Valley Church, The Parish of St. Clement, Unitarian Church of Honolulu, First Christian Church, First Presbyterian Church and First United Methodist Church. The service began with two small routes in Makiki and Moʻiliʻili, six clients, six volunteers and $25.
How can businesses and individuals help your organization? There are currently more than 450 volunteers and numerous businesses that support Hawai‘i Meals on Wheels, including First Insurance Company of Hawai‘i, Bank of Hawaii, Hawaiian Electric Company, Kāhala Nui, Par Hawai‘i, and many others.
What are the services your organization provides in the community? Hawai‘i Meals on Wheels treats all of our clients like ‘ohana. We make sure kūpuna and those who are disabled have hot, nutritious meals delivered to their door, whether for lunch or dinner. Our volunteers also take the time to make sure each one is doing OK. We serve as another set of eyes and ears for families. The aloha spirit is alive and well … and that’s why we’re called Hawai‘i Meals on Wheels.
For more information about us, visit https://rjn.vuh.mybluehost.me.
