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SHEBOYGAN, Wisconsin — The pinch of rising food prices is being felt far beyond the grocery store shelves.
As egg, produce and meat prices continue to rise, Wisconsin’s Meals on Wheels program says it’s feeling the effects. Meals on Wheels provides freshly home-cooked meals to seniors in the area and conducts “friendly visits and safety checks.”
Fresh Meals on Wheels of Sheboygan County said it prides itself on making fresh food from scratch. Use raw ingredients to create a variety of recipes for clients across the county.
In the kitchen, Erika Wilharms mixed the ingredients for an Asian orange salmon dish.
“Knowing that my clients are eating enough of their homemade food gives me a warm feeling,” Wilharms said.
Fresh ingredients are something Fresh Meals on Wheels is proud of, but it’s starting to cost more to access them. Fresh Meals on Wheels CEO Allison Thompson says material costs have increased 50% from 2021 to 2022.
“Everywhere you go you see the cost of eggs that everyone is talking about, but it’s the same for us, $5 or more for a dozen,” Thompson said.
Rising costs have not impacted our ability to serve, but staff and volunteers are scrutinizing the menus they create and the foods they prepare.
“We are mindful of our menus. We create a four-week menu that repeats once, and each time we create it, we check what products are available,” says Thompson. “How can you cut, chop, dice, slice and make it economical?”
Over the past year, Fresh Meals on Wheels has also addressed volatility in fuel prices. This has affected volunteers who use their own vehicles to deliver meals.
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