
Holly Hagler CEO

Earle Zucht Board Chair
By The Numbers FY2020 IMPACT
2019
Served 5,000
Meals Per Week
Through Grab & Go

2020
Served 30,000
Meals in One Week
Through Grab & Go
Meals On Wheels OC’s 2020 strategic plan outlined a target to serve 15,000 people per year by 2025 – because of COVID-19 we exceeded this target by mid 2020.
Serving 15,000 People a year
Serving 10,000 People a year

GRATEFUL
TO SERVE
Meals on Wheels OC’s nutritious meals, friendly visits, safety checks and Adult Day Services enable older adults to enjoy hot meals together, maintain wellness, and stay connected. Although we cannot safely gather during COVID-19, we are helping to ease stress and worry until we can sit down together for a meal or visit once again.

“No one was prepared for this to happen, but Meals on Wheels OC has been a blessing. Without them, we just don't know how we'd survive.”
– Wahida

“I’m just really glad that Meals on Wheels OC is out there for people like me It’s just mind boggling when you stop to think, they care, they are just the greatest people and they are doing this for me! It’s unreal!“
– Thelma

“Without Meals on Wheels OC, the fear about how I'm going to eat or when I'm going to eat would be there. And I do not have that because of them. What a gift.”
– Jack

“I am 76 years old and have asthma. I am isolated because of this COVID-19. Your program is a godsend. I couldn't make it without people like you!”
– Anonymous

“Meals on Wheels OC is a Godsend – if their service wasn’t around, I don’t know what I would do.”
– Elizabeth, Family Caregiver
The Dramatic Impact of Meals on Wheels OC
- 59 percent of Lunch Café participants say their health is improved through the organization’s services
- 68 percent of Lunch Café participants say they have an improved quality of life
- 62 percent of Meals On Wheels OC participants experienced a reduction in the length of hospital stays
- 92 percent of Meals On Wheels OC participants say it lets them remain living at home
- 87 percent of Meals On Wheels OC participants say it makes them feel more secure
Operations LEVEL HEADS AND HEARTS ALWAYS PREVAIL
The arrival of COVID-19 forced us to respond rapidly in order to continue serving our community's most vulnerable. When senior centers closed with the March 13 stay-at-home order, we massively transformed our operations and ramped up volume. Where we previously served 1,000 hot meals a day in partner senior centers, we shifted to making and freezing fresh 5,000 meals a day for safely-distanced Grab & Go pickup. And where friendly drivers would normally visit with homebound seniors as they delivered an entire days’ worth of meals, we quickly implemented safety practices for contactless delivery, all while serving 25% more older adults who suddenly needed home-delivered meals.
In a controlled flurry, we began sourcing additional food and putting menus together while adjusting operations to adhere to COVID-19 safety and hygiene protocols. We also added a production line, expanded freezer space at our community kitchen and distribution center, to meet the growing demand for meal distribution at Grab & Go locations.
We couldn't have asked for a more urgent, yet measured response from our community!
Meals are developed by a registered dietician to provide balanced nutrition and alleviate hunger
2021 Outlook
PLANNING FULL
FUTURES FOR SENIORS
Looking ahead, we are preparing for an equally challenging 2021 as the health, economic and social effects of COVID-19 will linger long after the virus is defeated. The number of at-risk older adults in need of food and social connections will continue to grow. Adults aged 65 or older are the fastest growing age group in Orange County. By 2040, almost one in four people in the county will be over the age of 65*.
As a result of the pandemic, many more food-insecure seniors have connected with us than ever before. Once revealed, hidden hunger cannot be ignored. The number of people we are now serving is unprecedented, and with the community’s help – with your help– we will be able to provide vital nourishment for at-risk older adults who need us.
Meals on Wheels OC set a bold goal in early 2019 to erase hunger and isolation for 15,000 older adults a year by 2025, essentially a 50% increase or 1,000 new clients per year. Due to the increase in demand and financial support during the pandemic, we have already surpassed these targets.
Our 2021 goal is to provide vital nourishment and connections for all who need us now more than ever.
Our success factors include:
*The Orange County Healthy Aging Initiative, 2016
Partner Network
GRATEFUL FOR A NETWORK OF
TIRELESS PARTNERS

Chair
Earle Zucht
Business Development, Verde Watts

PAST Chair
Stuart M. Moss, MBA
Managing Director, Keystone Capital Markets, Inc.

VICE Chair
Scott Heinila
Regional Director, Producers Choice Network

SECRETARY
Corey Saenz
President, COR Branding Agency

TREASURER
DeVon Wiens, CPA
Retired Partner, Moss Adams

BOARD MEMBER
Gary Coburn
COO, Avanti Restaurant Solutions

BOARD MEMBER
Lynn Daucher
Former Director, California Department of Aging

BOARD MEMBER
Richard Lee
Associate Director, BKM Capital Partners

BOARD MEMBER
Scott Lien
CEO & Co-Founder, GrandPad

BOARD MEMBER
Susan Lucero
Strategic Sales Manager, Celonis

BOARD MEMBER
Stephen J. Margetic, CPA
President, Hyder & Company

BOARD MEMBER
Di Patterson
Founder & CEO Success in Aging Centers

BOARD MEMBER
Randy A. Platt, C.A.- RCFE
Co-Founder, Chairman & CEO Care Partners Integrated Healthcare

BOARD MEMBER
Chalat Rajaram, MD
Senior Medical Director, Vitas Healthcare

BOARD MEMBER
Paula J. Serios
Senior Vice President, BVK Marketing

BOARD MEMBER
Tom Sowers
Regional Managing Director, Sales 24 Hour Home Care

Executive staff
Holly Hagler
President & CEO

Executive staff
Jane Roth
Chief Financial & Administrative Officer

Executive staff
Gio Corzo
VP Home & Care Services

Executive staff
Darla Olson
VP Advancement

Executive staff
Delena Gutierrez
VP Social Services

Executive staff
Maria Castaneda, PHR, SHRM-CP
Senior Director, Human Resources
“Meals On Wheels OC is more than nutritious food. It’s kindness, compassion and connection. Meals On Wheels OC is dignity…it’s hope.”
–TEENA TOMLINSON, SITE MANAGER, CITY OF CYPRESS SENIOR CENTER, VALUED CITY PARTNER OF MEALS ON WHEELS OC
CONTRIBUTORS
Gifts made between July 1, 2019 and June 30, 2020.