Giving Tuesday reminds us of the power of generosity, and here in Santa Barbara County, it’s an opportunity to make a meaningful impact right in our own neighborhoods. At Noozhawk, we’re committed to highlighting the organizations whose work strengthens our community day after day.
Our Good for Santa Barbara County Nonprofit Section helps connect readers with local groups providing essential services. Whether you choose to give, volunteer, or simply share their mission, every effort contributes to the wellbeing of our community.
As part of our Giving Guide, we sat down with Marla Landreth, Interim Executive Director at Meals on Wheels – Santa Maria Valley to learn more about their long-standing commitment to delivering nutritious, affordable meals to seniors and homebound residents. In this feature, the organization shares how they support independence, address food insecurity, and continue a legacy of service that began more than 50 years ago.
Meals on Wheels Santa Maria Valley
Question: What is the name of your nonprofit, and what is its mission?
Answer: Meals on Wheels – Santa Maria Valley provides well-balanced, low-cost meals, to elderly, low-income and homebound persons, including those with special dietary needs, throughout Santa Maria and Orcutt.
Q: How long has your organization been serving the community, and who founded it?
A: Meals on Wheels – Santa Maria Valley was founded in 1972 by Pastor Robert Wedaa, as Santa Maria FISH, in association with the Santa Maria Valley Ministerial Association. Pastor Wedaa partnered with the dietitian and kitchen staff at Marian Residence, then a residential care facility, to deliver low-cost, standard and medically-tailored meals to elderly, low-income and homebound persons, throughout the Santa Maria Valley.
Today, more than fifty years later, Meals on Wheels – Santa Maria Valley continues to serve meals prepared in kitchens associated with Marian Regional Medical Center: meals are now prepared in the kitchens of the Marian Extended Care Center. Volunteer drivers deliver midday meals five days a week, except Thursdays and Sundays. Meals are balanced, nutritious and, where needed, tailored to suit a wide range of medical needs.
Q: What motivated the creation of your nonprofit?
A: Pastor Wedaa found there were people in the community, many of them elderly and low-income, who needed delivery of nutritious meals, on a permanent or temporary basis. He set out to address that need with the support of the Santa Maria Valley Ministerial Association, now known as the The Pastors’ Network of Santa Maria Valley.
Today, Meals on Wheels – Santa Maria Valley continues to serve the same community, both short-term and long. We have a variety of clients, many of them seniors, and we support their goal to remain in the comfort of their homes as long as possible, maintaining dignity and independence.
Q: How is your nonprofit primarily funded, and what are its biggest needs right now?
A: We have received grants from local governments and foundations, donations and contributions from our clients, which are assessed using a sliding scale.
In the current economic environment, our biggest need is funding. With restored and additional funds, we can reduce the contribution requested of our clients, the vast majority of whom are seniors considered very low income and low income while continuing to take on new clients.
Q: How can people get involved with your nonprofit or volunteer?
A: Our volunteer drivers deliver midday meals to clients on a regular day every other week, e.g., every other Saturday. Routes cover a geographic area, such as Northeast Santa Maria, and currently involve up to twelve stops. Those interested in volunteering are welcome to contact us via our website, http://mealsonwheelssmv.org, or to call us at 805-938-1200.
Q: What sets your nonprofit apart from similar organizations?
A: Meals on Wheels – Santa Maria Valley is the only program in the area that delivers fresh, nutritious ready-to-eat midday meals five days a week.
Q: Can you share a fun fact or little-known detail about your nonprofit that would surprise people?
A: People are often surprised by the vast number of medically-tailored diet options that are available to our clients, including consistent carbohydrate, cardiac care, renal and vegetarian, preparations such as chopped, puree and liquid meals, and exclusions, limiting sodium, lactose or fiber, among many other options.
Q: Could you share a story or two about individuals whose lives have been positively impacted by your organization?
A: Ms. K needs treatment several times a week for a chronic medical condition, which, along with limited mobility, makes it difficult to shop for groceries and to stand for long periods while cooking. Delivery of a midday meal allows her to remain independent, living in her own space, while getting the care she needs.
Mr. W is a hospice patient. Delivery of meals frees the family members who provide his care to focus more Mr. W’s comfort and medical needs, spending less time on shopping and meal preparation.
Mrs. D, a widow, needed a significant medical procedure that required substantial recovery time, along with physical and occupational therapy. Meals on Wheels delivery allowed her to return home sooner from the acute care facility, and to focus on her therapies, ultimately speeding up her recovery. Note: some details changed to protect clients’ privacy.
Q: What makes your organization trustworthy for donors, and are there other ways people can support your cause beyond donations?
A: We honor our founder’s legacy and our well-known national brand by working closely with our active and involved board of directors, complying with state and federal reporting requirements and taking advantage of the support and resources available from local organizations as well as Meals on Wheels America, which cover all aspects of maintaining and growing successful Meals on Wheels programs.
Q: Can you highlight one immediate goal and one long-term vision your nonprofit aims to achieve in the next year?
A: An immediate goal is to replace funding that has been reduced or eliminated by long-term funders due to changes in their budgets. A longer-term goal is to reduce the contributions requested of low income and very low income clients.
Click here to support Meals on Wheels – Santa Maria Valley’s mission to provide nutritious, affordable, and medically tailored meals to seniors and homebound residents, helping them maintain independence and dignity in their own homes.
Explore Noozhawk’s Guide to Giving for a full list of local nonprofits to support this giving season.
If you would like to include your nonprofit in our Good for Santa Barbara section and Giving Guide, click HERE.