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Founding – The Home Welfare Association
Representatives of the Mothers' Allowance Auxiliary and of various Winnipeg churches formed The Home Welfare Association in 1921. Mrs. John Dick suggested of the need for such an organization to the Secretary of the Social Welfare Commission. Mrs. Dick later became the first President of the new association.

The Home Welfare Association was the first of its kind to bring together many church groups. They collected basic items of clothing, bedding, and furniture from the community. The social agencies of Metropolitan Winnipeg distributed them to those in need.

The Home Welfare Auxiliary devoted many hours of volunteer time sewing and knitting articles for the hundreds of layettes they prepared each year. For the first fifty years of the organization, volunteers and a small staff fulfilled this role. It wasn't until September 11, 1962 that the Association was incorporated under the Statutes of the Province.

Meals as a Side Project
A 1961 study recommended the establishment of a Meals on Wheels delivery service for people who were unable to prepare meals for themselves, such as the elderly and infirm. The Home Welfare Association began a three year pilot project, and they delivered the first meals on June 30, 1965. Initial financing came from the Rotary Club of Winnipeg, the Winnipeg Foundation and the Provincial Department of Health and Welfare. Volunteers delivered 10,308 meals in the first year, helping qualifying individuals stay independent in their own homes. The original program delivered hot, nutritious noon meals five days a week. The food was prepared at the Manitoba Rehabilitation Hospital which served the Meals on Wheels program until 1969, when the program moved to the Winnipeg General Hospital.

Changing Focus
Changing facilities meant that in 1970 the distribution of appliances and furniture ended, and in 1975 the clothing exchange store front was also closed. By then other agencies provided similar services. At the same time the Meals on Wheels program was growing. In 1972 Tache Nursing Centre was added as a supplier. In 1976 St. Amant Centre, Concordia Hospital and Victoria Hospital signed on. St. Boniface Hospital joined the program in 1977. In each of the next three years a new supplier was added; first Grace Hospital, then West Park Manor, and in 1980, Misericordia Hospital. The program continued to grow, and volunteers became a key component of the program's success. Around 1980 the program began looking for a way to lower the costs for volunteers, as some could no longer participate. In 1981 a reimbursement of $1.50 was offered to drivers per route driven. This amount increased slightly over the years to $2.00, then to $2.50 per route driven in 1996. In 1981 the Home Welfare Association chapter was officially closed when the name was changed to Meals on Wheels of Winnipeg, Inc.

Part of the Winnipeg Community
The meal service continued to grow, adding Holy Family Nursing Home in 1983, Park Manor Personal Care Home in 1987, and Deer Lodge Centre in 1990. New staff helped to keep pace with the growth of the organization, and in time operations were computerized. In 1987 the Winnipeg Jewish Community Council approached Meals on Wheels of Winnipeg, asking for the delivery of kosher meals. This service began in 1988 with a kosher catering firm preparing meals to be reheated at Health Sciences Centre prior to delivery. In 1991, the kitchen of the Gwen Secter Creative Living Centre took over meal preparation and distribution, with Meals on Wheels coordinating the administrative functions. In 1994 Riverview Health Centre joined in, and in 1996 St. Joseph's Residence on Leila Avenue also signed on, becoming the fifteenth centre supplying meals for Meals on Wheels. In 1995 the Nissan Canada Foundation provided an Axxess Mini-van on a long term lease to the organization for delivering meals and promoting the program. This agreement has been renewed annually since, and a new Nissan Quest van was presented in 1996.

Continuing Forward
1998 brought about dramatic differences in the dietary services offered by hospitals in the City of Winnipeg and the changes impacted Meals on Wheels. In the fall of 1998, Urban Shared Services Corporation took charge of dietary services at several facilities. Their plan for dietary services included a Regional Distribution Facility where the meals are trayed. All food is received at the Regional Distribution Facility already prepared, so no preparation or cooking is done onsite. The individualized meals are then delivered to the health care facilities where, using state of the art technology they are heated. This was a controversial change at all levels. In 1997, Concordia Hospital, Victoria Hospital, Deer Lodge Centre, Misericordia Health Centre, Grace Hospital, and Riverview Health Centre converted to this system. Both St. Boniface Hospital and Health Sciences Centre were to be included in this system but have been delayed. Meals on Wheels took advantage of this change to upgrade the service to the clients. All clients were then able to receive soup with their meal, a midday nourishment was added to the meal, and an improved entree container that can be used in a microwave or a standard oven was selected for the meals.

Since 1921 the organization has evolved greatly to the point at which we find it today. Programs begun in 1921 have ended, and a project begun midway in the organization's life is the central focus: delivery of meals to home bound individuals. Reliance on volunteers is as ever the vehicle that makes it all happen. The operation is driven by a focus on the client, and operationally the system relies on computers. The Board of Directors, staff, and volunteers demonstrate the same commitment to helping the lives of others as was shown by the founding members.