Take a walk around the kitchen at St. Vincent Medical Center and it may seem like any Meals on Wheels program.

As a blanket term, Meals on Wheels refers to any service that caters to home-bound individuals who are unable to prep or shop for their own meals. 

Inside, dishes are prepped, packed and delivered to homebound seniors, but here at St. Vincent Meals on Wheels, the goal is a little more than meets the eye. 

"We serve anyone in need regardless of religion, ethnicity, disability or ability to pay," said Executive Director Daryl Twerdahl. 

Because St. Vincent's is a private nonprofit, it has the ability to act as a safety net for those who might often fall through the cracks, people like 61-year-old Wilki Tom. 

A few years ago, Wilki found himself in crisis. He was homeless. He discovered his kidneys were no longer functioning, and he would need ongoing dialysis treatments. Around the same time, he was also out of work and without a steady place to live. Not yet 62 years old, he was too young for government assistance, but still very much in need of help. 

That's where St. Vincent Meals on Wheels stepped in. 

"I'm really fortunate because it's kind of like a home right now," Tom said. "The original mission was to look out for homebound seniors, but I think once [the sisters] were discovering there's other people on the periphery, they made sure that there's no one missing a meal."

There are plenty of people in California who are at risk of going hungry. As of 2025, the senior population will have doubled. That sector however is also the fastest growing homeless group in the state.

It's a problem St. Vincent's is looking to help solve, catering to a group that often gets left behind.