CINCINNATI — After SNAP benefits were rolled back earlier this month, along with the rising price of groceries, many people struggle every day to get a meal. 

What You Need To Know

  • Meals on Wheels of Southwest Ohio & Northern Kentucky received a $50,000 donation

  • The donation is from Molina Healthcare & iHeartIMpact

  • Meals on Wheels serves over 10,000 senior citizens every year

  • The money will help serve even more senior citizens, especially with inflation and SNAP benefits going back to pre-pandemic levels

Maryann Jones, 89, received a special visit Monday. Meals on Wheels of Southwest Ohio & Northern Kentucky CEO Jennifer Steele and others from Molina Health stopped by her house to personally deliver her food. Meals on wheels provides free food to seniors, many who may be homebound. 

“It sure enough was a surprise,” said Jones. “I’ve never had that many people in my house before.”

Jones is on a fixed income and has received meals from the program for the past couple of years. 

“I like all of it,” she said. “I drink the juice almost every day. I eat all the meals, too.”

Jones' daughter helps prepare the meals, which she said are easy and quick to prepare. 

“She come in here and stick one of those in the microwaves and I can eat that and she doesn’t have to worry about what to fix next,” she said.

Jones is one of nearly 10,000 senior citizens across southwest Ohio and northern Kentucky who is served by meals on wheels every year.

“We provide more than 5,000 meals, and in addition, we provide really critical infrastructure capacity, pet support programs, and other things to keep seniors healthy and independent at home,” said Jennifer Steele, Meals on Wheels of Southwest Ohio & Northern Kentucky CEO.

On Monday, Steele received a $50,000 check from Molina Healthcare and iHeartIMpact. She said this will help them help expand their efforts to help more seniors like jones, especially now that Supplemental Nutrition Assistance money has been scaled back to pre-pandemic levels. 

“We’re starting to see waiting list form now,” she said. “It’s really difficult time seeing senior citizens living on a fixed incomes with food prices so high.”