A look behind the curtain at MIFA: 4,500 meals per week doesn’t just happen

This is the sixth story in our new series on senior food insecurity. It’s a topic that is especially important in the greater Memphis area, which has the third-highest senior food insecurity rates in the country. 

When Demario Harris, a longtime restaurant industry professional traded in his apron for a computer, he thought his days of managing food service were over. 

Harris was hired at MIFA in December of 2023 and after eight months on the data specialist side, his colleagues and coworkers urged him to apply for the new Kitchen Supervisor position. 

“I’m here now and I love it,” he says. “I’ve always been a person to give and help out. I’d give my last to anyone.”

Harris and his team are in charge of 1,300 hot meals going out every day and that doesn’t even account for the frozen boxes. 

“Every day I come in I make sure all 45 routes are staged, that means that I taste everything, make sure dietary standards are met, and everything looks good,” Harris says. 

MIFA runs food service to homes Monday through Wednesday and to 14 area congregate sites Monday through Friday. Congregate sites include community centers and senior centers. Recently, Harris went along to one of the congregate sites and ended up learning tai chi and dancing with a bunch of ladies. 

“We sang happy birthday and everybody gave me a hug,” Harris says. “I love what I do every day.”

According to Senior Director of Meals on Wheels Meghan Havior, there are several teams that collaborate to ensure meals are delivered in a timely manner. 

It starts with eligibility based on nutritional and functional needs, not income. Clients are referred to MIFA by their primary funder, the Aging Commission of the Mid-South, and from healthcare partners. 

The Billing and Client Services team handles client intake and recordkeeping, as well as customer service and troubleshooting for clients, meal delivery volunteers, and staff delivery drivers. New clients select their preferred meal format – hot or frozen meals and the days of the week they would like to receive their meals.  

Then Food Service prepares the meals according to the client’s prescription. MIFA’s staff dietitian ensures that each balanced meal provides one-third of the U.S. recommended daily dietary intake. 

“We pride ourselves on ensuring that all meals are low fat, low sugar, and low sodium,” Havior says. “Food Services also ensures that meals are appealing in appearance and taste.” 

MIFA contracts with nutrition provider Trio Community Meals to ensure that meals are prepared according to the meal pattern so that a variety of foods is served. For example, some days the meal is chicken, others are turkey or hamburgers. Trio staff arrive at MIFA’s kitchen at 3:30 a.m. each weekday to begin preparing and packaging meals for delivery. Trio also assists with holiday meals and shelf-stable emergency delivery meals, which all clients receive in case of service interruptions due to inclement weather. 

Next up, The Meals on Wheels Fleet team and MIFA’s Engagement department ensure that all meals are delivered to clients in a timely manner. Drivers and volunteers are thoroughly trained on food safety procedures to ensure that hot meals are delivered hot and cold meals are delivered cold. They also hand-deliver each meal to the client or a caregiver in the home. Meals are never left unattended. If the driver or volunteer is unable to reach the client, they will leave a placard on the doorknob which states:  

“We’re sorry we missed you. Please call to reschedule your meal delivery.” 

The program is primarily funded by the Aging Commission of the Mid-South, the local conduit for federal funding allocated by the Older Americans Act. 

“For each federally funded meal we serve, MIFA is reimbursed $8. But the cost of one meal, from preparation to delivery, was actually $9.19 last year. MIFA is responsible for fundraising to cover the gap,” Havior says. 

MIFA Meals on Wheels motto is “More Than a Meal.”

“This simply means that not only are we providing meals, but we are ensuring that our clients are well taken care of in terms of mental and emotional health,” Havior says.