As 2021 comes to an end, it’s a time of reflection. We all take the time to think about the successes and failures we experienced in our personal and work lives. It’s also a time when charitable giving is paramount to continue a nonprofit’s operations. Since raising money and recruiting volunteers happens every day at a nonprofit, nonprofits always need the support. Meals on Wheels of Contra Costa is no different: helping seniors happens every day, and we need support to make that happen! That’s why this December, we are asking you to join us in supporting seniors in our community. Help us continue to take care of senior health and wellness by joining us in the Give a Little Bit Campaign.

Why Support Senior Health and Wellness?

This is a common question we receive a lot here at Meals on Wheels of Contra Costa!

We are supporting our community by providing a vital service to our community. Our partners, Meals on Wheels Diablo Region, Meals on Wheels West Contra Costa, and J-SEi, are busy every day keeping our seniors fed with nutritious meals that they can’t get from other places. This is hard but valuable work that we want to keep going!

Helping seniors in the Contra Costa community is something that also benefits all of us. The knowledge that can be gained from simply sitting and talking to our seniors can be life-changing. For students, volunteering with Meals on Wheels of Contra Costa not only is personally rewarding but looks fantastic on a college application. By taking steps to show that every member of the community is important, we come together as one voice, one spirit, to ensure our entire community is safe, not just our seniors.

When our seniors aren’t getting the nutrition they need, their health declines. Coupled with other problems that our seniors face, such as limited mobility, loneliness, depression, or painful illnesses, they need as much help as they can get.

Meals on Wheels of Contra Costa is helping seniors every day, and so can you. We have many ways that you can help, including joining us in the Give A Little Bit Campaign!

What’s the Give A Little Bit Campaign?

“When you give a little bit (or a lot!) to Meals on Wheels America, you’re supporting local programs that brighten the dark days for America’s seniors. This holiday season, and all year long, we want to ensure that no senior feels hungry and alone – and we need your help to do it.” – Meals on Wheels America.

Give a Little Bit Campaign is a yearly fundraising campaign that asks for help providing healthy foods to seniors all across America. There are three basic ideas: give a little bit of love, time, or your voice.

Giving a little bit of love means donating funds towards senior health and wellness. Giving time is volunteering, and giving your voice means being a community advocate for America’s seniors. It’s a great campaign that supports so many seniors and provides many valuable services to Meals on Wheels all across the country.

Joining Meals on Wheels of Contra Costa in this campaign means helping us with the first two: give a little bit of love and time.

Giving A Little Bit of Love

One way to help your favorite charity is to give a monetary donation before December 31st! Actually, almost half of all donors make their yearly contributions in December! One of the reasons to give is that if you get your donation in before December 31st, it’s a tax write-off. This means you are helping a charity with their year-end goals but also receive the benefit of a little less taxes for 2021.

Consider a donation to help Meals on Wheels of Contra Costa!  We have many monetary needs, including supporting our senior meal delivery services and partners. The money that we receive goes to help subsidize the cost of each senior’s meal, which is roughly $5 per meal. Since Meals on Wheels of Contra Costa subsidizes over 1.5 million meals a year, that’s a lot of five dollars that we need to raise!

Giving A Little Bit of Time

We understand that not everyone can donate, especially since many of us are still trying to recover from the effects of the  COVID-19 pandemic. Instead of donating money, many of our supporters donate time instead!

We have many volunteer opportunities for individuals who want to get started with us. In our office, we are always looking for administration and event volunteers. These opportunities are great family bonding activities because even kids can get involved! Helping with mailers or stuffing envelopes might not seem like a big deal, but giving a little bit of time to us is one of the best holiday gifts!

If you are interested in giving a bit of time as a delivery driver, your contribution helps so many people! Our partners need the drivers consistently and continuously since new routes are being established, and more seniors need help than ever.

You are also supporting our seniors directly. Each driver has a set route that they work on, so you will see the same seniors every time. This means you are an active member of their community and another set of eyes if they need help. Our senior clients always look forward to a friendly face, especially if they are more isolated and in a rural area.

Get Involved!

Getting involved with Meals on Wheels of Contra Costa is easier than ever this holiday season. We appreciate anyone who can give a little bit back to our organization!

If you have any questions or need help donating, contacting us is easy! You can fill out our message form or give us a call at (866)-669-6697.