Brooke Kinebrew | KSBW Actions News 8 Reporter
Meals on Wheels of the Monterey Peninsula is expanding with a new facility in Seaside to address increasing food insecurity among local residents.
PACIFIC GROVE, Calif. — Meals on Wheels of the Monterey Peninsula is expanding its operations to meet the growing demand for food assistance in Monterey County, where about 40% of residents face food insecurity.
Inside a small kitchen in Pacific Grove, Meals on Wheels has been preparing between 3,000 and 5,000 meals daily for homebound seniors, veterans, adults with disabilities, and those unable to shop or cook due to physical limitations.
As the need continues to rise, they have officially outgrown this space.
“The cost of food right now is a big deal,” Jacob Shafer, senior director of advancement, said. “People are having a hard time affording it [and] the cost of housing. Being senior, being alone.”
To meet the rising demand, the organization bought the former Monterey Peninsula Sports Center building, an 18,000-square-foot facility in Seaside, for $3.6 million in the summer.
The space will become their new production kitchen, with hopes of getting it up and running by 2027.
“We have kitchen design professionals helping us find the most efficient ways to lay out the particular equipment to produce the food and get the food into the cars of volunteers to deliver out in the community,” Shafer said.
Meals on Wheels reports that food production has increased by nearly 400% in the last five years.
“We will have the capacity to be able to do a lot more and even work triple shifts if we need to, depending on who’s asking for the food. Right? We’re here to serve the community, and that’s the bottom line,” Christine Winge, president and CEO, said.
They also say that in the next five years, a quarter of the Monterey area’s population will be over the age of 60.
“This kitchen will increase our capacity by tenfold, so we’re prepared to work with our clients and other organizations to serve the need that’s clearly coming over the next 5 to 10 years,” said Steve Keller, incoming board chair.
As for the current kitchen and community center in Pacific Grove, that space isn’t going anywhere.
They’re still deciding how the kitchen will be used moving forward.
They’re also launching a capital campaign to raise $10 to $12 million to support the expansion.
