The staff and volunteers of Meals on Wheels strive every day to give clients the best possible meal delivery service. Now and then, things come up that challenge our ability to do this. Here are some ways staff, caregivers and clients can work together to better assist those receiving our services:

Clients occasionally have appointments or other plans that keep them away from home during our normal meal delivery hours of 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM.

Our policy is not to leave meals without first receiving instructions from the client or caregiver for other arrangements, such as securing the meals in a proper insulated container or, ideally, leaving the meals with a neighbor.

When clients know in advance they will be absent during our delivery hours, we ask that they do the following:

Call our office at (317) 252-5558 24 hours in advance either to cancel delivery or leave instructions.

Post written instructions on the door indicating where the meal should be left. Ideally, meals would be left with a neighbor. If meals will be left in a container, please ensure it is insulated and of proper size. We recommend a medium or large cooler.

 

In warm weather months – If you do not answer your door or if there is no cooler outside of your door, our policy is to NOT leave meals. Make sure your cooler (an insulated bag is an acceptable substitute) is clean and free from debris.

Please place an ice pack inside the cooler. It is not safe for us to leave your meals in the cooler without the ice pack. To make a homemade ice pack, freeze water in a plastic bottle, then place it in your cooler.

If a client will be away due to a hospitalization or other unexpected event, we ask that the caregiver, relative or emergency contact notify our office at (317) 252-5558 as soon as possible. In these cases, we typically put a cancellation on the order until we are notified the client wishes to resume meal delivery.

Please do not ask the volunteer to relay the cancellation order to the office.

Meals are delivered between the hours of 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM. Please note that we cannot guarantee or specify an exact time of delivery.

IF YOU ARE DIABETIC, to avoid medical emergencies please do not wait to take medication until your meals arrive. While waiting for your meals, snack lightly in order to take your medication. Please consult your physician regarding snacks that are appropriate for your dietary needs.

Observed Holidays (Deliveries Resume the Following Business Day)

New Years Day
Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Memorial Day
Independence Day
Labor Day
Thanksgiving Day
Christmas Day

Clients should be mindful to treat volunteers with courtesy. Please remember, most of our drivers are donating their time, using their own cars and paying for their own gasoline to bring meals to your door.

Meals on Wheels and our food providers work diligently to ensure nutritious and tasteful meals are delivered to clients. Some clients have special requests; for example, substituting white bread for wheat or skim milk for 2% milk. While we will do everything we can to accommodate reasonable requests, please understand we cannot guarantee every request will be fulfilled. One reason is that our food providers are all separate entities with different procedures and management. Sometimes, regrettably, mistakes are made. If you have a special food request, please contact client services at (317) 252-5558 to discuss the possibility of making a change. We also encourage clients to contact our office and talk with our client services staff about any complaints or praise regarding their experiences with our service.

For further details or an information packet, please contact us at (317) 252-5558 or by e-mail at [email protected]. To send us a message through our Web site, please go to our Contact page.