Meals on Wheels of the Monterey Peninsula
700 Jewell Ave., Pacific Grove 375-4454, mowmp.org
When the pandemic took hold in March of 2020, a lot of people were suddenly forced into dealing with a lot of free time. For the people at Meals on Wheels of the Monterey Peninsula, the pandemic brought an unprecedented level of critical work: making sure our struggling neighbors, from Marina to Big Sur and Pacific Grove to mid-Carmel Valley, were fed during a time it was especially difficult for homebound people to access food. Jacob Shafer, Meals on Wheels’ development director, says volunteers have been the “beating heart of the organization” and made it possible to serve 2,000 individuals over the last year-and-a-half, with not just meal deliveries but friendly (and sometimes life-saving) check-ins.