Our Meal Program
Nutritionally balanced, hot and ready-to-eat meals are prepared and delivered by volunteers every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
Our meal program offers:
Fresh Meals
Three days per week, we deliver freshly prepared and nutritionally-balanced meals that are hot and ready-to-eat — no further preparation required.
Frozen Meals
We also offer frozen meals for the weekend, delivered along with fresh meals, that are easy to reheat in an oven whenever it’s convenient.
Wellness Checks
Equally important as the healthy meals we deliver, is the human connection our drivers provide when they visit three times each week.
Meals & Menu
Planning
Our monthly menus are planned in advance by our Lead Cooks and posted here on our website. Physical menus are also printed and delivered by drivers towards the end of each month.
Meals are nutritionally balanced and always include a healthy portion of protein (chicken, fish, pork or beef, but sometimes vegetarian); two side dishes from a variety of starches and vegetables; soup and fresh bun; and dessert. An example would be chicken supreme with sweet potatoes and green beans; vegetable soup with dinner roll; and fudge brownie for dessert.
Preparation
Meals are 100% made and packaged by volunteers in the Sooke Community Hall kitchen. Directing and supervising our volunteers, Lead Cooks are required to have Food Safety Certification. This ensures they are knowledgeable about food handling, sanitation and worker safety, including food-borne illness, receiving and storing food, preparing food, serving food, and cleaning and sanitizing.
Dietary Restrictions
We cannot cater to food preferences.
Please indicate any serious anaphylactic food allergies on the application form and we will discuss options with you. As we are utilizing a singular community kitchen space, we cannot guarantee prevention of cross-contamination; therefore, we do not offer gluten-free meals suitable for people with Celiac Disease.
For those who have Diabetes, we substitute the dessert for a portion of fruit. Meals are an otherwise nutritionally-balanced mix of protein, complex carbohydrates and healthy fats.
Delivery
Days & Times
Meals are delivered hot and ready-to-eat every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, from 10:30am to 12:30pm, including all statutory holidays — yes, even Christmas! Optional frozen meals are delivered (one per delivery day) along with fresh meals for reheating on Tuesday, Thursday and the weekend, respectively.
Our volunteer drivers use their own vehicles to deliver meals directly to clients’ doors in containers that keep hot meals hot, and frozen meals frozen, during transport.
Delivery Area
Our delivery area is within a 10-minute drive of the Sooke Community Hall. Typically, this includes the area from Otter Point / Gordons Beach in the west to Woodlands Road in the east.
If you live in East Sooke, Shirley or other outlying areas, you can send someone to pickup your meals at the Sooke Community Hall on Wednesday mornings, between 10:30-11:00am. Please complete our application form and select PICKUP ONLY.
Receiving Deliveries
Insulated coolers are mandatory to receive meal deliveries and must be placed outside the home in a safe, easily accessible location. Placement near the front door in a visible, sheltered location is best. For clients inside a multi-unit apartment building, a box labelled “Meals on Wheels” placed outside your unit’s door in an interior hallway is acceptable.
Administrative
Invoice & Payment
Fresh and frozen meals are $7.00 per meal and billed monthly. You will receive an invoice around the 10th to 15th of the month for the previous month’s meals.
We accept Interac e-transfer (preferred) or cheque. You can send a cheque with the driver on your next delivery day or mail it to:
Sooke Meals on Wheels
P.O. Box 398
Sooke, BC V9Z 1G1
If someone other than yourself will be paying for your meals, we will require their full name, relation to you, contact info and signature on the confirmation form. Please note this in your application.
Subsidy Program
Clients may be eligible for a 50% to 100% subsidy of meal costs. As this program is limited by our organization receiving sufficient funding, coverage is only made available based on severe financial hardship, strict qualifying criteria, and annual review of eligibility, including verification of income using CRA documentation.
Pause or Cancellation
We require minimum 7 days notice to pause or cancel your deliveries for any upcoming week. As we are a 100% volunteer-run organization without a full-time coordinator, changes to the meal prep and delivery schedule require extra lead time.
Have questions about our meal program?
I arrived in Sooke alone, feeling like a stranger in a new place. Due to my partial blindness and glaucoma, I am unable to drive. On top of that, I am battling cancer and recovering from a stroke. I cannot express enough my gratitude for Meals on Wheels. The exceptional home-cooked meals they provide are just one part of what makes this service invaluable. It is the dedication of a group of remarkable volunteers that truly sets this service apart. They selflessly cook, deliver meals, and tirelessly raise funds, ensuring that individuals like me have access to nutritious, healthy, and consistent meals. Thanks to their support and care, I feel nourished and supported during this challenging time. This service is essential for my survival and well-being.
FIRST NAME
Client Rights
- To be treated in a courteous and respectful manner
- To have one’s individual needs and preferences recognized
- To have one’s privacy, dignity and autonomy respected
- To have one’s records kept confidential
- To know cost of services and receive payment receipts (e.g. statements)
- To know terms of service (e.g. cancellation)
- To have any comments or concerns addressed by our team as promptly as possible
Client Responsibilities
- To fully read, understand and abide by our Terms of Service.
- To notify us of any changes as soon as possible. All requests should be made by phoning Meals on Wheels at 250.664.7222 or by email to sookemow@gmail.com.
- If you cannot be home for your delivery, please leave a small cooler outside.
- Our organization is staffed entirely by dedicated volunteers. Any disrespectful or abusive language or behaviour will not be tolerated. Please help us uphold a culture of mutual respect.