MARTINSBURG, W.Va. — After more than a half-century of service, Berkeley County Meals on Wheels is getting fresh.
MOW announced it has recently started buying fresh produce from local farmers. The effort involves a number of community partners.
MOW Executive Director Dianne Waldron announced Friday the group received hydroponic lettuce from local farmer Jason Weber and pointed out “the shelf life is more than twice as long as store bought or from buying from food vendors and no pesticides.”
Waldron said she arranged for a chef from Blue Ridge Community and Technical College to teach volunteers how to properly cut and handle fresh veggies and fruits.
“Our hope is to save money on meal costs, while our homebound recipients will get high-quality nutrients from fresh rather than canned fruits and vegetables and we will be providing revenue to local farmers.”
In addition to Weber, Meals on Wheels is partnering with other local farms, including Kitchens Farm Market in Falling Waters.
Berkeley County Meals on Wheels is participating again in this year’s United Way of the Eastern Panhandle Unity Campaign. The funds from the Unity Campaign will go toward the purchase of fresh fruits and vegetables.
Text Unity 4 to 71777 to donate to Berkeley County MOW.
The organization serves meals to approximately 1,000 homebound seniors each week in Berkeley County.