An Invitation to the Heart of Our Mission: Join Us October 10th

Dear Friends,

Every morning, before most of Los Angeles has started its day, our kitchen is already hard at work.

Meals are being prepared. Vans are being loaded. Drivers are getting ready to head out across Los Angeles County.

By the end of the day, nearly 3,000 seniors will receive not only a hot meal, but a reminder that someone cares.

For nearly 50 years, that simple act of showing up has been at the heart of St. Vincent Meals on Wheels.

On October 10, I would like to invite you to see that work for yourself.

For many years, our supporters have gathered with us at wonderful venues throughout Los Angeles. This year, however, we wanted to invite you somewhere much more meaningful: home.

As you arrive, you will walk through the kitchen, packing areas, and loading spaces where our mission comes to life each day. You will see firsthand the work that has helped sustain hungry and homebound seniors across Los Angeles County for nearly five decades.

Before dinner, we will gather for the blessing of our Circle of Angels donor wall—a reminder that this mission has never been sustained by equipment or buildings alone, but by people. Generations of donors, volunteers, partners, and friends whose generosity has helped ensure that seniors throughout Los Angeles County are fed, seen, heard, and loved.

That spirit of service stretches back long before St. Vincent Meals on Wheels was founded in 1977. Guided by the Vincentian values of the Daughters of Charity, we continue to believe that every person deserves dignity, care, and the opportunity to remain safely in the place they call home.

Today, that mission is more important than ever.

Within the next few years, California will have more people over the age of 65 than under the age of 30. Los Angeles County is already experiencing the effects of this shift as more older adults struggle with food insecurity, rising housing costs, isolation, and the challenges of aging in place.

Behind every statistic is a person—a widow living alone, a veteran choosing between food and medication, or a senior one unexpected expense away from losing the stability of home.

As we prepare to celebrate our 50th anniversary, we must also prepare for the reality of this growing need.

That is why, on October 10, we will launch a five-year, $10 million capital improvement campaign to help ensure St. Vincent Meals on Wheels is ready to serve the next generation of seniors who will depend on us.

This campaign is not simply about equipment.

It is about readiness. Readiness to prepare more meals, to reach more homes.

Readiness to meet a growing need that we can already see on the horizon. And readiness to ensure that food and love remain available to every senior who depends on us.

The first 50 years of this mission were built together. Together, we will be ready for the next 50.

With gratitude,

Veronica Dover