“What a relief to know I would have at least one good meal a day!” “For me, [Project Homecoming] has been a lifesaver. I don’t know what I would have done without it.”
“Your meals were a welcome home, and greatly appreciated.”
These are some of the comments we’ve heard from those who have received Project Homecoming in Boulder recently. And it’s what fuels our souls and keeps the wheels turning year after year.
Project Homecoming is a short-term meal delivery program designed to help patients make the transition from hospital to home. The service was created and launched by Meals on Wheels of Boulder in 2007. Longmont Meals on Wheels and Coal Creek Meals on Wheels have since joined, along with Boulder Community Health, Longmont United Hospital, Exempla Good Samaritan Medical Center, Rocky Mountain Cancer Center and Avista Adventist, making Project Homecoming available to patients leaving the hospital and returning to their homes in Boulder County.
Project Homecoming consists of the delivery of five free meals to anyone, of any age or income upon release from a hospital or rehabilitation facility, specifically those who do not have immediate plans to provide food for themselves for at least the first five days. It includes a hot meal, delivered at noon, prepared to meet any dietary restrictions – delivered by Meals on Wheels volunteers. Frozen meals are available for weekends.
Surveys of recipients of the service show the number who did not have plans for meals is as high as 54% and many patients are sent home with new dietary restrictions which may be difficult or confusing. Receiving healthy meals can help smooth the transition, relieve anxiety and help patients get well faster. The service is free for five days – with absolutely no strings attached!
For more information, contact Meals on Wheels of Boulder at 303-441-3908; Longmont Meals on Wheels at 303-772-0540; or Coal Creek Meals on Wheels at 303-665-0566.