● Meals on wheels in Charlotte-Mecklenburg ●
Sign up yourself or a loved one
● Let us know of people who cannot prepare food for
themselves.
● Do you need meals on a temporary or permanent basis?
● Are you caring for a loved one who does?
Here are the answers to common questions:
How do I start?
Let us know of the need. There are three ways:
– Fill in this form, which
will send us the information by e-mail.
– Mail or fax us a paper form
with the same information.
– Leave a message at Friendship Trays at 704-333-9229 to have
someone call you.
What's next?
A staff member at Friendship Trays will call to verify all information. In most cases someone will arrange to visit the prospective recipient at home. At some point we will need to discuss payment levels and payment methods with the recipient, or with the family member who has financial responsibility.
We will need to get a doctor's meal plan order. If a special diet is necessary, deliveries can't begin until the doctor's orders are received.
How much?
Every recipient is asked to pay. Nearly every one does pay
something. About a quarter pay the full cost. We do not refuse
service or discontinue service because of inability to pay.
How soon?
Hours to days to months, depending on a lot of factors. We add
recipients quickly if there is room on an existing route. But if
the route is full, or if no route serves the prospective
recipient's area, service can't begin. Which is why we are
constantly seeking volunteers to drive routes and help prepare
food, and donors whose gifts allow us to pay a few employees to
drive routes.
How long?
We do not cut off service to those who continue to need meals and have made the payments agreed to. We have a small number of recipients who have been in need of meals for many years.
But most of our recipients do not stay that long, so places on existing delivery routes do open up on a regular basis. And we regularly re-interview recipients to confirm that they still need the service.
Even if there is not a route in your area at the moment, we would encourage you to be sure we know about the people you know who are in need of the service.
Do you deliver way out?
Current routes go west in Mecklenburg to the Catawba River;
north to Cornelius; east to Lebanon Road near the Cabarrus line;
and south to around I-485.
Do you deliver beverages?
As of April 2, 2012, Friendship Trays stopped delivering a juice or milk box with each home-delivered meal. If milk is a medically necessary part of a diet order as prescribed by a physician's office, then we deliver milk.
