Wesley Community Services is on track to distribute more than 400,000 meals on wheels this year, and as part of the nonprofit’s efforts, it’s incorporated
Meals4You, which are meals available to individuals of any age.
Meals4You is a program designed to cater to the needs of individuals with diabetes, but according to Tracy Carres, who serves as account executive for
Diabetic Home Delivered Meals, anyone is welcome to participate in the program. “We don’t ask any questions,” Carres says.
There are currently 28 different meals available—breakfast, lunch and dinner—and at five dollars each, the meals ensure value and nutrition, which is important in anyone’s life. “We have a nutritionist advisory board in place—registered dieticians from
UC and
Christ Hospital, so they make our menu,” Carres says.
“It’s humbling, to be quite honest with you, because we’re the only company who has these therapeutic meals in the area, which is good for us,” Carres says. “But it’s also bad because no one knows it exists, and it’s such a huge population that I’m barely touching a percentage of it.”
Since diabetes is considered an epidemic, Carres says it’s necessary to do something to help people manage the disease.
“About three months ago, we did interviews with consistent customers, and we had success stories where A1C levels had dropped, insulin was lower, they lost weight—but the biggest thing is compliance by the individual,” Carres says. “Some people had ordered once and never ordered again, and a lot of people said, 'I like going to Waffle House or Golden Corral,' which is fine, but it doesn’t help manage your diabetes.”
To remedy some of the issues surrounding healthy eating, Carres says that rather than adding salt to season vegetables, a Mrs. Dash packet is now included with every meal, as to not alter nutritional values but still add spice and flavor.
“Everyone seems to know someone with diabetes,” Carres says. “It’s a matter of just letting those people know that we’re here.”
Do Good:
•
Order meals through Meals4You if you are diabetic or simply in need of a delivered and healthy eating option.
• Call (513) 244-5488 if you have a community group interested in hearing about Meals4You.
• Support Wesley Community Services by making a charitable
donation.
By Brittany York
Brittany York is a professor of English composition at both the University of Cincinnati and Xavier University. She also edits the For Good section of SoapboxMedia.