A combination of factors are cited for a recent surge in the number of people joining the waiting list for the Meals on Wheels program in Caddo Parish. That list has now expanded from a typical level of 250 people to 362 seniors. And the list keeps growing. That’s according to Monica Wright. She is the executive director of the Caddo Council on Aging (CCOA), which oversees the meal delivery program.
Wright explains the multiple factors prompting more people to inquire about Meals on Wheels, starting with the cost of living, and with it, rising inflation. When you look at the latest government figures, the inflation factor quickly becomes clear. The rate jumped to 3.3% in March, the highest level in nearly two years [May 2024]. This is based on data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, with analysts largely blaming the rising cost of energy for the jump in inflation.
Wright says there’s also a strong sense of uncertainty among many seniors, particularly those on fixed incomes, who worry about potential consequences if, for example, the local or national, or both, economies take a major downturn. They are far from alone. In fact, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) headquartered in Paris, and widely considered an international think tank with 38 member nations, has now adjusted upward its U.S. inflation forecast, putting it at 4.2% for 2026. this all comes in stark contrast to projections by the U.S. Federal Reserve of 2.7% inflation.
And finally, Wright says confusion and anxiety persist among senior citizens about whether any government cuts, or myriad policy and rule changes might affect their day-to-day lives without them knowing about it until it becomes too late to act. Examples of snares they fear include program eligibility and work requirements that could affect their benefits, whether it be from Social Security, to Medicare, Medicaid, SNAP, or other government programs.
This is where Meals on Meals enters the picture for these Caddo citizens who are at least 60 years of age, to quality. Wright says the Caddo Council on Aging’s Meals on Wheels program currently provides 875 seniors five meals per week, delivered Monday through Thursday, with a frozen meal for Fridays included in Thursday deliveries.
Wright came to the Red River Radio studio on Monday, April 13, 2026, to record an interview with show host LSU Shreveport Professor Heather Carpenter, for the locally-produced, weekly program Community Connection. Discussions with leaders of community nonprofit groups concentrates primarily on how their work makes the area a better place to live.
True to format, during the interview Wright recalled how the CCOA is always looking to improve efficiency in how they operate their programs, including Meals on Wheels. She says they had experimented with the idea of reducing the number of days in which seniors actually have personal, face-to-face contact with the volunteer or meal delivery driver.
That idea soon stopped, Wright explained, once it became readily apparent the essential need for person-to-person social contact.
In fact, Just a few weeks ago, Wright recalled finding out that fact directly, as she stood in line at a local restaurant. That’s when she met the daughter of a former client. “She said her mom’s name and I said, ‘oh, that was our favorite and she called every day.' And she said she was so appreciative of the meal. She talked about you all, all the time. She loved the person that came and delivered the meals. She said that that conversation she had, and how she connected with that driver just made all the difference to her, she said. At first I didn’t understand it because like, ‘mom, it’s just a meal,’ she said. But after a while I realized that my mom really needed that connection with somebody else that was coming to her home.”
Personal contact with a senior not only makes a personal connection, but the program is also designed to serve as a wellness check on the person, especially if they don’t happen to get out very much or do not have many relatives living nearby.
There is no charge for the meal delivery service, per se. And CCOA literature does spell out that no one is denied a meal because they do not contribute to the cost. They do suggest that, “A $25 weekly donation to Meals on Wheels assists in Maintaining the current service level.”
The now 54-year-old organization [CCOA] provides Caddo Parish seniors much more beyond meal delivery, ranging from supportive services like caregiver respite, to legal services, to an aging and disability resource center, to name but a few. To learn more just check out their website.
Red River Radio listeners can hear much more about the Meals on Wheels program in an upcoming episode of Community Connections, which airs Mondays at 6:30 pm with Dr. Carpenter. No exact air date for Wright’s episode has been announced at this time. And for more information on CCOA call: (318) 676-7900 or email caddoccoa.org.
