Meals on Wheels

• A nutritious meal based on Canada's Food Guide and providing 40% of the daily recommended nutritional intake for a 70 year old male
• Delivered to the client's home
• Flexibility to choose the menu from a wide variety of delicious meals, soups, and desserts 
• Social interaction with our friendly, caring, trained volunteers
• Follow-up for absences
• Alerts about potential crises, health or safety concerns
• Provides peace of mind for family and friends

Meals on Wheels:

We offer a variety of hot and cold menu items, including milk or cheese, soup or juice, a main entree and a dessert. All meals are prepared on a five-week, rotating schedule so there is always plenty of variety!

Click here for a sample menu

Frozen Meals:

We offer a variety of nutritional, delicious meal choices, served with a main entree, soup and a dessert. These can also be ordered individually to best suit clients needs.

Click here to view a sample menu for clients in Kitchener/Waterloo.
Click here to view a sample menu for clients in Cambridge.

Meals on Wheels:

Meals are $7.75 each in Kitchener and Waterloo, and $7.50 in Cambridge. Clients are billed monthly for meals delivered.

There are several payment options available. These include:

Automatic withdrawal - The amount owing will be automatically withdrawn from your bank account on the last day of the month, or you can have automatic withdrawal set up on your Visa or MasterCard, which would be charged on the 25th of each month.

To set up automatic withdrawal, download and fill out the Direct Debit Program Authorization Form and mail it in with a void cheque. Someone from our finance department will call to confirm authorization.

Mail in a cheque - You can mail your cheque to 420 Weber St. North, Unit L, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 4E7.

Drop off payment in person - You can drop off your cash or cheque in person at either 420 Weber Street N., Waterloo, or 887 Langs Drive, Unit 4A, Cambridge

*A charge of $25.00 will be added to your account if a cheque or automatic withdrawal is returned NSF.

Frozen Meals:

Frozen meals consist of a main entree, soup and a dessert. These can also be purchased separately.

Packages are delivered on Thursdays. Clients are billed monthly for meals delivered.

Subsidy:

Financial Assistance may be available for meal programs. Persons living alone with an income below $17,300 may qualify for a reduced rate. Persons living with one other person with a combined income below $26,000 may qualify for the reduced rate.

Your Care Coordinator will visit you at your home to do an assessment with you to find out if you qualify for subsidy. You will need to have a formal document that verifies your income for your assessment. You can acquire a copy of your Income Tax Assessment Form by calling Revenue Canada at 1-800-959-8281.

Financial assistance is possible thanks to the United Way of Kitchener Waterloo, as well as our supporters and individual donors.

We are able to provide the following diet types:

• Diabetic
• Diverticulitis
• Renal Diet
• Restricted Sodium (salt) Diets:
  • No added Salt - A 3-5 gram daily sodium restricted meal
  • Cardiac Heart Smart - 750 mg or less sodium per meal
• Restricted/ Reduced Fat Diet
• Modified textures - including cut meat, soft meats or foods, minced, chopped or mashed vegetables, puree.
• Gluten-free Diet
• Vegetarian Diet
• Food Allergies

Feel free to call the office to speak with our Nutrition Coordinator if you require any further specialized diets.

Meals on Wheels:

Meals are delivered by volunteers who have been interviewed, trained and screened by the agency.

Meal delivery takes place Monday through Friday between the hours of 11:00 am and 1:00 pm.

Frozen Meals:

Kitchener/Waterloo: Frozen meals are delivered Monday through Friday between the hours of 11:00 am and 1:00 pm.

Cambridge: Frozen meals are delivered once a week on Thursdays.

Client must be home between these times to accept the meal.

Changes and/or cancellations must be made prior to 11:00 am the day before the scheduled meal. Clients who do not cancel a meal before the appropriate deadline the day before delivery, or are not home to receive the meal will be charged for that meal.

Meet our Intake Coordinator

Marie Kaal came to CSC with a strong community service background. She worked for 12 years as a fundraising volunteer with Big Sisters KW. After that she was the Bingo Coordinator for the Catholic Youth Organization (CYO).

She first began with Meals on Wheels after a CYO board member alerted her about a six-week contract with the organization. Six months after that, she began another contract as a meals assistant. Then, another six months later, she came on board for what was to be yet another six week contract, this time in the office - and 14 years later, she’s still going strong as the reigning master of intake & reception.

Marie loves talking on the phone with clients and knowing that through a simple phone conversation there is the possibility of easing some burdens for the families. "I've been there and I know how difficult it can be," she says. "That's whats great about reassuring our clients over the phone... I like to think that I take care of them the way that I'd take care of my own parents."

Marie spends a lot of time with her family, especially her beautiful grandchildren. "I was taught by by mother at an early age to have all the fun that you can, because life is too short," she says. And so she does, filling her days outside the office with dinner parties, card games, scrapbooking, putting on funny skits for her family and generally just having a good time. "Anything fun, I'm down for. If it's fun and funky, I'm in!"

She has many eclectic friends who have a wide range of interests and view points, and Marie says that their influences on her life have left her with a very open mind. "I like unconventional, abstract thinking. It helps to showcase other angles, other viewpoints to look at life." Marie believes that this type of thinking has proved beneficial when helping out clients as well.

"It teaches you... this whole job, really, teaches you to never assume anything. Never assume that you know a particular situation, never assume that just because things are usually one way that they are always that way. I've learned to become a detective in this way, to track down the appropriate resources and find clients the help that they need."

For Marie, this committment to the clients has always been the goal in mind. "I feel that the clients are the most important people," she says. "They have all given many years of service to this country, and to the generations after them. It is only right that we treat them with the respect and compassion they deserve. After all- this is my family away from my family!"

And ask Marie when she will retire? "I will work until they drag me kicking and screaming out the door. And then I will be back as a volunteer."

Marie loves talking on the phone with clients and knowing that through a simple phone conversation there is the possibility of easing some of their burdens. "I've been there and I know how difficult it can be," she says. "I like to think that I take care of them the way that I'd take care of my own parents."

Marie spends a lot of time with her family, especially her beautiful grandchildren. "I was taught by my mother at an early age to have all the fun that you can, because life is too short," she says. And so she does, filling her days outside the office with dinner parties, card games, scrap booking, putting on funny skits for her family and generally just having a good time. "Anything fun, I'm down for. If it's fun and funky, I'm in!"

She has many eclectic friends who have a wide range of interests and view points, and Marie says that their influences on her life have left her with a very open mind. "I like unconventional, abstract thinking. It helps to showcase other angles, other viewpoints to look at life." Marie believes that this type of thinking helps the clients as well.

"This whole job teaches you to never assume anything. Never assume that you know a particular situation, never assume that just because things are usually one way that they are always that way. I've learned to become a detective in this way, to track down the appropriate resources and find clients the help that they need."

For Marie, this commitment to the clients has always been the goal in mind. "I feel that the clients are the most important people," she says. "They have all given many years of service to this country, and to the generations after them. It is only right that we treat them with the respect and compassion they deserve. After all - this is my family away from my family!"

And ask Marie when she will retire? "I will work until they drag me kicking and screaming out the door. And then I will be back as a volunteer."

Meet Margaret Schuller!

Margaret began to have  Meals on Wheels delivered to her home while she was recovering from multiple surgeries. She lived alone and didn't have the strength to prepare meals, so she looked forward to receiving a hot lunch that was tasty and nutritious.

"I thank the lord for Meals on Wheels, it has really helped me out. And the volunteers that delivered them, each day, they made me smile and laugh, and I needed that more than aything.

Plus, I am always excited when my meal comes - it is always a delicious surprise!”