Altadena Meals on Wheels Resumes Serving Seniors After Eaton Fire Knocked It Out of Action

Altadena Meals on Wheels has resumed delivering hot meals to homebound senior residents after suspending operations for five months due to the Eaton Fire, which damaged the Altadena Senior Center in January. The organization relaunched its delivery service on June 2, following the securing of a new operational base.

“We serve all the Altadena residents who are confined to their homes,” said Shelley Mitchell, Altadena Meals on Wheels board member. “They cannot leave because a lot of them might be ill, in wheelchairs. Some of them are just old and can no longer operate a stove to cook a meal.”

The Eaton Fire disaster severely affected the Altadena Meals on Wheels organization; of its 45 volunteers and board members, 38 lost their homes.

Despite these challenges, 14 volunteers have returned to help with deliveries, even though many now commute from different cities.

The organization currently delivers hot meals to 14 households across Altadena.

Christ the Shepherd Lutheran Church, which survived the fire, now serves as the drop-off center for meals. Two volunteers deliver the meals each day, splitting routes to make the process more manageable.

Altadena Meals on Wheels provides complete hot meals rather than frozen ones. The organization subsidizes the cost for clients, many of whom are on fixed incomes.

“We do have a few who sometimes cannot even afford the subsidized meal price,” Mitchell explained. “So we have a few that we sponsor with at least a six-month subscription.”

Serving Altadena’s significant senior population remains a priority. Of the community’s approximately 43,000 residents, 20 percent are 65 or older – a figure 1.3 times higher than California’s 15 percent rate.

Altadena Meals on Wheels, which began serving aging residents in 1973, relies entirely on donations to fund its operations. The organization has received financial support from organizations including City of Hope and the Pasadena Community Foundation.

For more information or to make a donation, visit altadenameals.org or call (626) 794-0313.