Ohio Meal Service Marks 55 Years Feeding Homebound Seniors

For some people in Trumbull County, Ohio, a knock on the door at lunchtime isn't just about food. It's the only human contact they'll have all week.

Trumbull Mobile Meals is celebrating 55 years of delivering hot, nutritious meals to homebound residents who can't cook for themselves. The Warren-based nonprofit now serves 350 clients and delivers 125,000 meals every year, all thanks to 200 volunteers who show up before dawn.

The organization started in 1970 when Jean Schlecht and Pat Venetta teamed up with just $600 from the local medical society. Twenty women volunteered to deliver meals to a handful of Warren residents. Schlecht stayed active with the organization until her death last year at age 96.

Today, volunteers arrive at 8 a.m. to help package meals that started cooking between 5 and 6 a.m. Drivers pick up their routes at 11 a.m. and finish deliveries by 1:30 p.m., covering 28 routes across the county.

"We may be the only meal they get that day or the only person they see that day or all week," says Audrey Novotny, CEO of Trumbull Mobile Meals. Drivers come from Rotary clubs, churches, businesses, and real estate groups, with many volunteers over 65 themselves.

The need has exploded recently. When the Office of Elderly Affairs closed in 2025, Trumbull Mobile Meals absorbed most of their clients. The organization has nearly doubled from 200 clients in 2023 to 350 today.

Each client receives a dietician-approved hot meal plus fruit, salad, juice, bread, milk, and a sandwich meal from Monday through Friday. Weekend meals go out on Fridays. Special meals are prepared for people with diabetes or kidney disease who need low-sodium options.

The Ripple Effect

The volunteers do more than drop off food. They check on clients, make calls, and notice when something seems wrong. Family members who live far away say the daily contact gives them peace of mind knowing their loved ones are being looked after.

Even during the coronavirus pandemic, local businesses stepped up to provide food so deliveries never stopped. Some volunteer drivers meet routes at dropoff locations so they don't have to drive all the way to Warren.

To mark the anniversary, Trumbull Mobile Meals launched a Buy a Tile campaign to raise $500,000 for building expansion. The tiles will be displayed on the Vine Street side of their building at 323 E. Market St. People can buy tiles to honor or remember loved ones.

The expanded kitchen will give cooking staff and volunteers more room as they prepare fresh meals each morning. Plans also include adding a garage to protect vehicles and another restroom for the growing volunteer team.

Fifty-five years later, the mission remains simple: help people stay independent in their homes for as long as possible, one warm meal and one caring face at a time.