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Valley Meals and More discontinues delivered Wednesday meals, pauses some delivery services

Valley Meals and More volunteer Candace Goodwin loads up boxed lunches from Honey Butter to be delivered to seniors in early November 2021.
Chelsea Self/Post Independent

Valley Meals and More is no longer delivering meals on Wednesdays and has paused some meal delivery service in an effort to stretch the organization’s limited funding while still providing four meals a week to as many community members as possible. 

The nonprofit delivers a warm, ready-to-eat meal on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays to adult residents over 60 years old in eastern Garfield County, including Glenwood Springs, West Glenwood, Carbondale, Missouri Heights, El Jebel, the Crystal Valley and other unincorporated parts of the county. 

In 2024, Valley Meals delivered over 2,000 meals every month to a total of 224 unique older adults, ending the year with 2,566 deliveries in December alone. 



In April, the nonprofit began delivering meals on Wednesdays to residents at Manor One and Manor Two apartments in Glenwood Springs after striking a deal with the county that allowed them to utilize unused, contracted congregate meals.

“There were some issues and we started paying for the meals. And because we pay $10.25 a meal, those meals, there were 39 of them, were about $400 a week,” Mary Kenyon, Valley Meals and More executive director, said. “We were able to cover that through the end of the year because we had other funding coming in from the county.”



Currently facing a funding deficit of over $8,000 a month, the organization is prioritizing delivering meals to seniors who live in remote areas of the county and have limited access to food resources. 

To conserve funds, Valley Meals and More has canceled Wednesday meal delivery to Manors One and Two in Glenwood Springs. Eligible residents will still receive a meal four days a week. 

“We as a program have worked very hard not to put people on a waiting list, and what that entails is structuring the program so as many people get as many meals per week,” Kenyon said. “…Four days a week, they are getting the meals, and they’re in portions that they can portion out the meal for other days.”

Not willing to leave seniors without access to food, Valley Meals and More delivered Food for Health Boxes, shelf-stable food purchased from the Food Bank of the Rockies, to Manor residents on Wednesday. Every other Wednesday the organization will also distribute produce.

Thanks to Garfield County and the Roaring Fork Transportation Authority, hungry Manor residents can catch a free bus ride to a congregate meal site at Colorado Mountain College on Tuesdays and Fridays. 

The nonprofit has also temporarily suspended meal delivery to 25 residents at Crystal Meadows in Carbondale, but will continue the service for those eligible and interested in February.

In the meantime, Crystal Meadows residents impacted by the pause can use Carbondale’s Downtowner to get to the Orchard for a congregate meal on Wednesdays.

“The priority right now is to attempt to keep deliveries four days a week,” Kenyon said. “We would like to offer Crystal Meadows residents the opportunity to restart the program in February.”

If Valley Meals and More can’t secure additional funding by February, the nonprofit may have to restructure or reduce its delivery service, according to Kenyon. 

No matter the outcome, Valley Meals and More is devoted to ensuring older community members have access to food. 

“We’re looking at access to nutrition as the larger issue and offering options to older adults that they can choose if they are hungry,” Kenyon said. 

Congregate meals including meat, starch, vegetable or salad, bread and butter, milk or buttermilk and dessert or fruit are held at seven locations throughout Garfield County. Meals are served from 12-12:15 p.m. Participants 60 and older are encouraged to pay as they are able, with a recommended contribution of $3 per meal. Guest fees for those under 60 are $10.25 per meal. 

Make a reservation by noon at least two weekdays before the meal by calling the phone numbers listed below. For meals on Mondays and Tuesdays, call by noon the Friday before to make a reservation.

Mondays

Castle Valley Senior Housing, 201 Castle Valley Blvd., New Castle 

Call 970-665-0041 to make a reservation.

Valley Senior Center, 540 North Parachute Ave., Parachute. Call 970-665-0041 to make a reservation.

Tuesdays

Sunnyside Retirement Center, 601 21st St., Glenwood Springs. Call 970-665-0041 to make a reservation. 

Colorado Mountain College, 1402 Blake Ave., Glenwood Springs. Call 970-665-0041 to make a reservation.

Rifle Senior Center, 50 Ute Ave., Rifle. Call 970-665-6540 to make a reservation.

Wednesdays

The Orchard, 110 Snowmass Drive, Carbondale. Call 970-665-0041 to make a reservation.

Silt Town Center, 600 Home Ave., Silt. Call 970-665-0041 to make a reservation.

Valley Senior Center, 540 North Parachute Ave., Parachute. Call 970-665-0041 to make a reservation.

Thursdays

Rifle Senior Center, 50 Ute Ave., Rifle. Call (970) 665-6540 to make a reservation.

Fridays

Rifle Senior Center, 50 Ute Ave., Rifle. Call (970) 665-6540 to make a reservation.

Sunnyside Retirement Center, 601 21st St., Glenwood Springs. Call 970-665-0041 to make a reservation. 

Colorado Mountain College, 1402 Blake Ave., Glenwood Springs. Call 970-665-0041 to make a reservation.


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