About Sooke Meals on Wheels
Serving Sooke since 1972, Sooke Meals on Wheels is 100% volunteer-run, delivering hot meals on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays — a schedule that hasn’t changed in over 50 years!
Connection, compassion and community well-being are our guiding values.
We aim to:
- Treat clients in a courteous and respectful manner
- Recognize clients’ individual needs and preferences
- Respect client privacy, dignity and autonomy
- Maintain confidentiality of client records
- Communicate clearly about our pricing and terms of service
- Address any comments or concerns as promptly as we can
Impact
Home-delivery meal programs significantly improve diet quality and nutrient intake and increase socialization, resulting in better health and quality of life, among participants. This program is also aligned with government policy to rebalance long-term care away from nursing homes and towards community-based services that help older adults maintain independence and remain in their homes and communities as their health and functioning decline.
Annual General Meeting
Our AGM was Tue, Apr 29, 2025.
Our next AGM will be held in April 2026.
Our community partners make it possible.
2024 by the numbers
I am so very appreciative of the help. Everything has been a very appropriate portion and really delicious. It is so nice to not have to consider the logistics around grocery shopping and then preparation, which is very hard for my cognition, decision making and physical energy, especially while ensuring I am feeding myself well. Thank you again for your welcome call explaining everything well and then the follow up email so it’s a clear process. I’m so grateful for this and please hug all the volunteers!
FIRST NAME
Meals on Wheels History
England
1943
Meals on Wheels originated during the WWII Blitz bombing, when many people lost their homes and therefore the ability to prepare and cook their own food. The program’s name derives from delivery via all manner of wheeled vehicles including prams, carts, and bicycles.
Canada
1963
Meals on Wheels made its way to Canada, when Ontario resident Elsie Matthews approached her local Red Cross with the idea after seeing the program in England. By this time, the concept of delivering meals to those unable to prepare their own had evolved into the modern program that delivers mostly to the housebound elderly.
Sooke
1972
In October 1972, a group of volunteers began meal delivery on a trial basis. The hot meals, which cost 75 cents, were prepared in the Sooke Community Hall kitchen and delivered at noon on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays — a schedule that hasn’t changed in over 50 years! After seven weeks’ operation, serving over 400 meals, the response was such that service was extended on a permanent basis.
In January 1973, Sooke Meals on Wheels held its first Annual General Meeting with 30 members present. Neva James, Helene Barwis, Dooreen Keating, Pauline Chamberlain, Fae Gibson, Betty Hansen, Muriel Climie, Flo Tickner, George Jones and Elida Peers were elected as its first directors. At this point, the organization was a satellite of Sooke Elderly Citizens Housing Society (SECHS, which still manages Ayre Manor today).
Volunteering
Help us feed and connect with our community. We are 100% volunteer-run and are always welcoming new lead cooks, kitchen helpers, delivery drivers, grocery shoppers, coordinators, and board members.
Donations
Donations make a direct impact in improving access to affordable, healthy meals and decreasing isolation for seniors and others with mobility challenges.