Elk City, OK – Elk City Meals on Wheels has been serving local seniors for 56 years. Today, the program is quietly feeding nearly 100 people a day and is asking the community for help to keep the doors open and the meals coming.
The program began in 1968 when Mary Kelly and Mildred Wheeler prepared 12 meals in the kitchen of the Lutheran Church. Each woman drove a route, with Mildred’s young granddaughters, Susanne and Rhonda, carrying meals to the front doors of seniors across Elk City. Support from the U.S. Eldercare Commodity food program, local stores, and Kelly’s Dairy helped get the effort off the ground.
In 1970 meals were prepared out of Mary Kelly’s home kitchen. By 1971, the Rotary Club had helped build a dedicated Meals on Wheels kitchen as part of the Day Care facility. The program received non-profit status in February 1988.
In 1989, Elk City Meals on Wheels moved into the Elk City Housing Authority Fairview Village Building, where a new dining room allowed them to start a congregate meals program. That change helped meet the fellowship needs of active senior adults while also providing financial support for the meals delivered on routes.
Today, service is provided to senior citizens 55 and older, as well as disabled individuals of any age. Homebound participants qualify for delivery straight to their door. Others are encouraged to come to the dining room to eat and visit. While the elderly and disabled are at the heart of Meals on Wheels, everyone is welcome to come in, share a meal, and build community. That daily interaction often brings life and energy back into the lives of older adults.
The cost of a meal has changed with time, but the goal has not. In 1968, a meal cost $1.00, which included a hot meal, milk, and dessert. Today, low-income seniors who qualify for the “Reduced Cost Program” can receive meals for $50 a month. Seniors who do not qualify pay $7 per meal, or $100 a month, for route delivery. Those who come into the dining room pay $7.00 for a senior meal and $8.00 for all others. Every attempt is made to keep costs down while providing healthy, home-style food.
Right now, an average of 65 meals a day are being delivered to homebound seniors, with about 100 total meals served daily between delivery and dining room service. In 2024 alone, Elk City Meals on Wheels prepared and served 29,582 meals.
Behind those numbers is a small army of helpers. Eleven local churches and four civic groups volunteer each year to cover four delivery routes. Volunteer Brooke Ives gives her time every day to help wherever needed. Staff is small but steady. The program employs three paid staff members: cooks Kim Loyd and Zack Phillips, and Route and Dining Room Supervisor, Ja’Shayia Popoola.
Staff and volunteers are also a second set of eyes on the well-being of seniors. If a participant does not answer the door, they do not simply leave the meal. Every measure is taken to locate the person and make sure they are safe. In some cases, that wellness check has led to finding someone who had fallen or was unable to get to the door or phone and needed urgent help.
The financial need is significant. It takes roughly $22,000 each month to keep Elk City Meals on Wheels running. The grocery bill alone averages $8,500. Primary funding comes from The Thrift Shop. The Elk City United Fund makes a yearly contribution. Some years, the program receives no-strings-attached state grants. Individual donations and memorial gifts from families, churches, and businesses help fill the gap, but more support is needed.
To encourage giving, the program offers gift certificates for any occasion, along with cards that allow donors to give in honor or in memory of a loved one. With monthly expenses rising, faithful monthly donations have become crucial to the survival of the program.
Elk City Meals on Wheels operates as its own entity, with a local Board of Directors that sets policy and oversees finances. Mark Norton of the Elk City Housing Authority volunteers his time to manage the program day to day. The Housing Authority maintenance crew takes care of the facility and equipment.
Beyond meals, the dining room has become a social hub. On the last Friday of each month, Purcy Walker and Beverly Baker provide live entertainment. One day each month is “Door Prize Day,” where everyone eating in the dining room receives a number and drawings are held for small prizes. On the first Thursday of each month, Bingo is hosted by Kassey Putnam from Health Watch Home Health.
Diners start arriving as early as 10:30 a.m. to visit and catch up with friends. Meals are served from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at 1510 W. 9th in Elk City. Senior meals are $7.00 and all others are $8.00.
After 56 years, Elk City Meals on Wheels is still doing what it set out to do in 1968: deliver hot food, friendly faces, and peace of mind to local seniors. What has changed is the cost of keeping that mission alive.
The program is asking the community to step up, once again, to help. Monthly donations, memorial gifts, sponsorships, and volunteers are all needed to keep meals coming to some of Elk City’s most vulnerable neighbors.
For those who can give, every dollar helps keep a senior fed and connected. For those who can volunteer, every delivery, smile, and check-in makes a difference.
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