As Collin County continues to grow, Meals on Wheels Collin County is partnering with the North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG) to address food insecurity and transportation challenges facing older adults, particularly those living in rural communities.
The partnership is highlighted through Meals on Wheels Collin County’s annual Fall Harvest Box initiative, which provides seniors with shelf-stable food, household essentials, and encouraging messages ahead of the holiday season.
Antojuan Spoons Jr., marketing and communications director for Meals on Wheels Collin County, said the boxes also help seniors prepare for emergencies when regular meal deliveries may be interrupted.
“When the winter storm comes, and we're not able to deliver hot fresh meals as we do Monday through Friday, they'll have these meals to be able to eat pretty much anytime,” Spoons said.
The boxes can include items such as peanut butter, bread and crackers, allowing seniors to prepare simple meals when needed.
But Spoons said the initiative is about more than providing food. It also gives community members an opportunity to remind seniors they are not forgotten, especially in rural areas where transportation can be limited and visits from others may be infrequent.
He encourages people donating boxes to include an encouraging note, Bible verse, or motivational quote.
“When I think about a senior, I think about my grandmother who passed away a few years ago, and if I was able to see her more or able to just drop off a meal with her and send her a sticky note, I would do that every day,” Spoons said.
NCTCOG works with Meals on Wheels and transportation agencies across the region to help older adults access nutrition and transportation services. The partnership is particularly important in Collin County, where rapid population growth and gaps in transit coverage can make it harder for some seniors to reach grocery stores, medical appointments, and other essential destinations.
While several transit programs serve portions of the county, some rural communities fall outside transit authority boundaries.
Spoons said volunteers and community partnerships are essential to reaching seniors in these areas.
“There are so many things in so many ways to be able to help out these seniors, especially before the holidays,” he said.
Community members can donate and decorate Harvest Boxes through Oct. 27. Suggested items and participation information can be found here.
