Earlier this week, Meals on Wheels Yolo County presented its 2024 Heroes of the Year Award to Davis Sunrise Rotary during the 2nd annual “Driven To Be Heroes” donor and volunteer recognition event in the heart of downtown Woodland’s Heritage Plaza, located at 701 Main St.
“Heroes don’t have to wear capes or fly through the sky to contribute meaningfully to food security in Yolo County,” stated Executive Director of Meals on Wheels Yolo County Joy Cohan. “The valuable resources of time and funds generously provided by thousands of Yolo County residents annually make it possible for MOW Yolo to sustain and grow nutrition and socialization services for local, vulnerable aging adults. Our team cherishes this annual opportunity to engage the community in honoring these heroes for the lifeline they make possible for seniors to age in place safely.”
The award, presented Thursday evening, is intended to honor an individual or individuals, business, or organization that has significantly contributed both volunteer hours and philanthropic donations during the prior 12 months.
Cohan mentioned that in the case of Davis Sunrise Rotary, the contributions as both volunteer meal delivery drivers, coupled with the organization of an Oktoberfest event in the fall of 2023, with a portion of proceeds benefiting Meals on Wheels Yolo County, are key reasons for the recognition.
Davis Sunrise Rotary President Brodie Hamilton received the award during the Thursday evening presentation.
“It’s always meaningful to have the opportunity to thank the people who make our work possible,” Cohan said. “What made Davis Sunrise Rotary a particularly terrific choice is that they are both donors of time and funds. We really appreciated the opportunity to honor everyone, and we appreciated the support from community members and local officials who made it out on Thursday and who were part of the celebration. We hold this event in a public place to encourage the community to be a part of the presentation.”
Currently, Meals on Wheels Yolo County provides five nutritious, freshly prepared hot or frozen meals each week via doorstep delivery and “Café Yolo” social dining locations to approaching 1,000 seniors in nearly every part of the county, representing a more than 150% increase over the past two years.
Guided by the “Eat Well, Age Well” phase of the nonprofit’s “Operation Accelerate” initiative, the organization now operates two meal production facilities in Woodland and Winters and is placing increased emphasis upon fresh and local meal ingredients, medically-tailored meal options, and increased rural meal access for the most isolated seniors.
“With close to 50 meal delivery routes countywide primarily driven by volunteers, and 85% of our usual annual operating budget dependent upon private philanthropy or other non-governmental sources, volunteers and donors are at the heart of the MOW Yolo mission,” Cohan stated. “MOW Yolo’s success and the healthier outcomes for seniors that we make possible depend upon these heroes and their gifts.”
To learn more about Meals on Wheels Yolo County’s mission to nourish and engage seniors, donate, volunteer, or connect with nutrition services, please visit https://mowyolo.org, email [email protected], or call 530-662-7035.
