Helping one another is the Clemson way.
We deliver hot meals
to recipients daily
Monday - Friday.
serving within the Clemson city limits
Who are we?
Clemson Meals on Wheels began in 1974, when a dedicated band of of volunteers began furnishing hot midday meals to members of the Clemson community who need extra help to stay in their homes.
Clemson Meals on Wheels has no paid administrator. Activities are run by some 20 board members, many of whom also are regular or substitute drivers. Since its beginning in 1974, when the City of Clemson gave the organization a one-time start-up grant, Clemson Meals on Wheels has operated on generous gifts from donors like YOU who care about their neighbors in need.
Every weekday around 11 am, there’s a bit of a flurry around the Ingles Deli at the Ingles on Highway 93. That’s when Clemson Meals on Wheels volunteers gather to pick up warm lunches to deliver to homebound neighbors.
Who are our recipients?
Anyone living within the city limits of Clemson may apply for help from Clemson Meals on Wheels. Requests are based on physical need, but not solely on financial need. A person recently released from the hospital, for example, may ask for short-term help. We are glad to make those special temporary deliveries and can quickly fit them into our schedule. Others with problems preparing their meals may ask to become long-term recipients.
All clients are furnished their meals free of charge. Each request is screened according to need.
Each meal prepared by the deli crew includes a keep-warm container of nutritious food, a drink, a piece of fresh fruit – and sometimes a little extra surprise. Thanks to the local Journal newspaper, there’s also a free copy of the day’s news to take with lunch.
If you have a need for Meals on Wheels, click on the button below to begin the process of applying for help from Clemson Meals on Wheels.
Be a volunteer
Volunteers are the backbone of Clemson Meals on Wheels and have been since the organization began over 40 years ago! They are responsible for the delivery of 125 to 200 meals a week, depending on the number of recipients the organization serves at any given time.
There are five delivery routes each with up to ten recipients, all residents of Clemson, who for reasons of health or age or disability are unable to prepare a well-balanced diet for themselves. Some recipients see no one else in a day. Most live alone, others live with family members who work all day. Some might be temporary clients – for example, someone who has returned from a hospital stay and needs short-term assistance with meals. Routes are set up so that recipients live in the same area and can be completed usually in less than an hour. Drivers have one route and deliver to recipients once a week. Some drivers share a route so that they deliver every other week or in some cases once a month.
Deliveries are made year-round, even on Christmas Day. In recent years, each December 25, members of Holy Trinity Episcopal Church have prepared a holiday feast with lots of extra trimmings. That day, members of the church join regular MOW drivers to make the day festive and special.
MOW volunteers range from retirees to young adults, and all of them share a common sentiment: They care about the people they serve.
Please consider becoming a volunteer by clicking on the button below.
Donations
How are donations spent? Your gifts are used almost entirely to purchase food. Less than one percent of MOW’s yearly income goes for postage and printing and other incidental costs. The treasurer attempts to retain a year’s operating expenses in the bank to make sure clients don’t suffer in the event of an emergency drop-off in donations.
Clemson’s churches, community organizations and businesses are important contributors who help us meet our obligations each year and keep food going to our neighbors who need our service.
Since Clemson Meals on Wheels (501c3 organization) is an IRS approved public charity all donations are tax deductible. All donations will be acknowledged with a thank you card or letter documenting your tax-deductible contribution.
Please consider making a donation by clicking on the button below. If you wish your donation to be made in honor or memory of someone, a letter will be sent from MOW letting that person or family know of your donation. Many neighbors designate that a monthly (or time period of your choice) donation be made regularly thru their credit card or bank draft.
