NEIGHBORS CARE ALLIANCE More Than Meals: Inside Mobile Meals of Southern Arizona’s 55-Year Mission By the Mobile Meals of Southern Arizona Communications Team
“We’re here for those in need with nourishment and the warm presence of caring volunteers who bring our vision of community to life,” says CEO L’Don. ◆ To learn more, volunteer, or support Mobile Meals of Southern Arizona, contact Volunteer Coordinator Tara at (520) 622-1600 or email Tara@mobilemealssoaz.org.
For many older or disabled adults in Southern Arizona, a healthy meal is more than food, it signals independence, dignity, and a daily connection to community. Yet despite a growing need, most food-insecure seniors still lack consistent access to nutritious meals, often because they can no longer cook for themselves or because home- delivered meals are not affordable. That’s where Mobile Meals of Southern Arizona (Mobile Meals) steps in. Now in its 55 th year, Mobile Meals is an Arizona Qualified Charitable Organization (QCO), dedicated to helping older adults and people with disabilities remain healthy and live independently.
At the heart of Mobile Meals is a dedicated corps of 199 volunteers who serve as both delivery drivers and caring neighbors. Last year alone, they delivered 90,000 meals and routine friendly visits to more than 796 community members as well as shelters, contributing over 15,500 hours of volunteer service. The impact goes far beyond nutrition. “Delivering nutrition and compassion can increase wellbeing,” CEO L’Don Sawyer asserts. “And wellbeing is something individuals and our communities need every day. Every delivery is also a caring check-in, a moment to ensure someone is safe and supported. That one-by-one neighborliness helps improve quality of life for everyone.” There are countless examples. Last summer, when a Mobile Meals volunteer noticed that an older client seemed confused after a recent fall, a wellness call was made. EMTs arrived and provided critical assistance. In another case, a volunteer learned that a homebound client had run out of her favorite mystery novels, and the volunteer returned the following week with a fresh stack of books alongside her food delivery. One longtime Mobile Meals volunteer brings season-themed napkins and helps set the kitchen tables for her route clients, reinforcing a sense of dignity and comfort along with the meal itself.
The Neighbors Care Alliance (NCA) is a network of neighborhood volunteer programs with a shared mission of helping older adults thrive safely in their homes for as long as possible. The programs serve specific geographic areas, and each is independently organized. Pima Council on Aging serves as the program administrator and provides tools to build infrastructure, volunteer training, opportunities for networking, access to community resources, and mileage reimbursement. Does your neighborhood have an informal neighbors-helping-neighbors program that would benefit from support? If not, would you like to learn how you can start one? FOR MORE INFORMATION visit nca.pcoa.org or call Christina Walker, PCOA Volunteer Services Program Manager at (520) 258-5062.
Volunteer driver, Sheila stands in front of the Mobile Meals electric van at the Kolb Road distribution site with a cooler of meals for delivery.
Page 20 | March & April 2026, Never Too Late
Pima Council on Aging
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