Blog

Having retired from his career in IT, John Isakson needed a new reason to get up and dressed every day. “You have to have a reason to get up every morning,” said John, our final Volunteer of the Quarter for 2019. For nearly six years, that reason has been the people served by Ypsilanti Meals ...

2019 was a busy and exciting year for Ypsilanti Meals on Wheels. Through support of our dedicated staff and more than 2,500 hours worked by our generous volunteers, we delivered 106,206 meals to 335 homebound neighbors in 2019. March brought our long-awaited move to Michigan Medicine as our food provider. Clients now receive hotter, fresher ...

When a fall last month left Joyce with a broken femur, she was left wondering about a lot of things, not the least of which was how she would host her family this Thanksgiving. “I always have it here. I didn’t know what I was going to do,” the 72-year-old said. So when she learned ...

November is National Caregivers Month – a reminder that caregivers like Alice need care, too. First Lady Rosalynn Carter once said there are only four kinds of people in the world – those who have been caregivers, those who are currently caregivers, those who will be caregivers, and those who will need caregivers. In May ...

October 10 is National Depression Screening Day. At Ypsilanti Meals on Wheels, we’re looking for the signs of depression in our clients every day. The PHQ 9 Patient Health Questionnaire is used in medical offices and other facilities across the country to identify signs of depression. YMOW uses that same questionnaire as part of our ...

September is Food Safety Education Month – a good time to review the simple but important steps we can take to prevent foodborne illness, also known as food poisoning. Each year, 1 in 6 Americans gets sick from eating contaminated food. Many of those who become ill are older adults, who are at a greater ...

September is National Preparedness Month. Ypsilanti Meals on Wheels is doing its part to be sure our homebound neighbors have access to nutritious food, no matter what Old Man Winter and Mother Nature might have in store. Along with regular meals, YMOW client care associates and volunteers deliver shelf-stable food to clients at least twice ...

There’s never a lack of activity around the home that Diane shares with her 92-year-old mother, Margarine. That’s because while Diane is a daughter and full-time caregiver for her mom, she’s also a grandma and part-time caregiver for her two young grandchildren.  “The kids keep her stimulated,” Diane said of her mom, who keeps a ...

Extra batteries are just one way honored volunteer serves more than a meal She’s been called Ash, Ashercat and Ashleigh O. But it wasn’t until she became a YMOW volunteer that Ashleigh Oliveira started answering to the nickname “My Little Chocolate Chip.” “I have no idea where that came from,” Ashleigh said, but each Wednesday ...