Help sustain existing affordable food delivery services and wellness checks for homebound seniors living in the city of Santa Barbara.

For 54 years, older adults wishing to stay in their Santa Barbara homes have received affordable hot meals, wellness checks, and friendly greetings from 160 Santa Barbara Meals on Wheels volunteers in a program shown to dramatically reduce malnutrition even as it eases senior loneliness and caregiver stress. As the largest provider of home-delivered meals in South County, the organization’s clients are mostly low-to-moderate income seniors, 65% of whom are women.

In previous years, the program serving 300 seniors and homebound individuals received funding from Santa Barbara County Human Services to cover the cost of meals, supplies, staff, and subsidies for low-income clients. However, in 2025 and 2026, those resources went to North County agencies. A Women’s Fund grant will sustain food delivery services for seniors struggling with rising food, housing, and healthcare costs in Santa Barbara.

https://www.mealsonwheelssb.org/