Okay, so listen up. Finding cheap eats that just show up at your door in Albuquerque? Especially if you’re kinda stuck or older? Felt like a treasure hunt, honestly. I started ’cause my buddy Jim mentioned his aunt uses something, but couldn’t remember the name. Me, being me, dove headfirst into figuring this Meals on Wheels thing here in ABQ.
First step? Totally overwhelming. You think “Meals on Wheels,” type it into the search, bam, done. Nope. Wrong. Way wrong. All these websites pop up, looking kinda official, some not. Which one is actually local? Which one serves my side of town? Had no clue. Felt like trying to find one specific rock in the Rio Grande.
After wasting like an hour clicking around useless pages, I remembered the Area Agency on Aging. Sounded legit, right? Grabbed my phone. Dialed their number – think it was something like 505- something something. Fingers crossed. Riiiiing… hold music. More ringing. Finally, a super nice lady picked up. Saved my sanity. She knew exactly the main group doing Meals on Wheels locally. Gave me their direct phone number like it was no big deal. Lifesaver.
Called that number next. The phone rang… and rang… and rang. Almost hung up. Someone answered! Victory! Another nice person. We talked about who I was calling for – just me, figuring this out proactively, maybe for someone else later? Doesn’t really matter for this, they serve individuals needing it. They asked the basics: name, address, phone number. Easy stuff. Confirmed I was actually in Albuquerque, in their service zone. Whew. Then came the eligibility bit.
Who qualifies? They laid it out:
- Age 60+? Automatic yes.
- Got mobility issues making cooking tough? Like pulling teeth to make a sandwich? Probably yes.
- Just got outta the hospital? Maybe.
- Feeling isolated? Could play a factor.
None of this sounded crazy strict. More about “Hey, do you genuinely need help getting meals?” Seems fair.
They mentioned a suggested donation per meal, real low. Like, cheaper than a fast-food burger, seriously. Big relief! But, and this is key, they stressed: No one gets turned away if they can’t pay. That’s the whole point. Donation isn’t mandatory. Good stuff.
Next was the assessment talk. Someone – a social worker or nurse – would need to actually come to where the person lives. Chat for 15-20 minutes. Not like an exam, more like confirming the need and understanding any dietary stuff. Think high blood pressure needing low salt, or diabetes needing sugar control.
Here’s where I gotta be real. The lady sounded nice, but kinda slammed. She warned me upfront: “It might take a couple weeks for the assessor to get scheduled out.” Fair warning. Government agencies, you know how it goes. Takes time. Not instant noodles, more like slow cooker.
Signed up right then. Gave my info over the phone. She took it all down. Said someone would call back to schedule that home visit. Step one officially done. Felt productive. Now… the wait begins. Phone sits silent… crickets… Reminds me why I hate dealing with large orgs sometimes. Patience is key, I guess. But hey, the process is rolling! Once they visit, boom, meals start rolling to your door. Pretty wild when you think about it. Affordable food, delivery. Lived to tell about it. Mostly just waiting for that callback now. Gotta love bureaucracy.
