WesleyLife Meals on Wheels

08/28/2026

We’re excited to welcome Michelle Gogerty, MHA, to WesleyLife as vice president of Home and Community-Based Services!

As more older adults choose to remain in the homes and communities they love, WesleyLife is continuing to expand the ways we support independence, choice, and well-being wherever people choose to live.

Michelle brings more than two decades of healthcare leadership and a track record of building innovative services around the needs of the people they serve. In her new role, she’ll help lead and grow WesleyLife’s home and community-based services as we continue working to revolutionize the experience of aging.

Get to know Michelle and learn more about the experience and perspective she brings to WesleyLife. Read the full story in the link below!

Michelle Gogerty joins WesleyLife as vice president of Home and Community-Based Services.

08/28/2026

The hottest race in town happens in our hydroponic farm! 🏁🌱

These volunteers put their tear-out skills to the test as they raced to clear old trays for the next growing cycle. Spoiler alert: everyone wins! 🥬

08/26/2026

🐾 National Dog Day reminds us that a pet's companionship can be life-changing.

That's why we're grateful for Meals on Wheels volunteers Tom and Linda Corson, who coordinate pet food donations through The Pet Project to help our clients care for their beloved animals.

Whether it's Bella, Big Red Fred (Tom's self-proclaimed 70-pound lap dog!), or the many pets belonging to our clients, these companions provide comfort, connection, and unconditional love. Through their volunteer service, the Corsons help ensure that both people and pets can thrive together.

Learn more about their story and impact: 🔗 https://www.wesleylife.org/blog/the-corsons-supporting-people-pets-and-peace-of-mind

Thank you, Tom and Linda, for helping support people, pets, and peace of mind!

08/24/2026

We enjoy a special tradition at Meals on Wheels of delivering flowers to each person we serve on their 100th Birthday.

Client Audrey recently celebrated her 100th birthday surrounded by her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, who gathered together to honor this special occasion. When asked about the secret to her longevity, Audrey shared that she learned the value of hard work growing up on a farm and growing and raising much of what they ate. "Eating well and working hard" has been her philosophy for life. Her family is close-knit and at 100 she still keeps up with relatives on Facebook!

Thank you, Audrey, for sharing your wisdom and reminding us all of the power of hard work, healthy living, family, and optimism. Happy 100th Birthday!

Thank you Boesen The Florist for your continued partnership to provide flowers for these special deliveries!

08/24/2026

Meals on Wheels is more than a meal. Last week before the hustle and bustle of the first week of school, we had multiple kids and grandkids joining on deliveries to give back to our community. Thank you for volunteering!

08/21/2026

Thank you Fareway Stores for support individuals in need in our community! During a one-week period, four stores in the Des Moines area support a round up campaign, ultimately funding a client's meals for a year through community round up donations. Thank you, Fareway!!

On behalf of our Fareway Stores in Johnston, West DesMoines on Grand Avenue, South Ankeny, Clive on Hickman, and our Beaverdale Meat Market, we would like to thank ALL of our customers who “rounded up”, to raise money for our local WesleyLife Meals on Wheels. With your help, we were able to raise enough money to feed one client for AN ENTIRE YEAR!!! We appreciate you and all that you do to help us serve our community ❤️

08/16/2026

A big “thank you” to KCCI for featuring our hydroponic greens at the Iowa State Fair as their lead story last night. Take a moment to watch, then visit the Salad Bowl at the fair to enjoy herbs grown on the Meals on Wheels campus!

A hydroponic farm in the basement of WesleyLife's Meals on Wheels building is growing fresh produce for veterans, older Iowans, and state fair attendees.

08/15/2026

As WesleyLife Meals on Wheels continues the yearlong commemoration of its 20th birthday, we're more grateful than ever for corporate partners who believe in supporting our mission. Northwest Bank is doing just that with a generous $50,000 gift to WesleyLife Meals on Wheels!

This support helps Meals on Wheels address food insecurity and social isolation by providing nutritious meals, friendly connections, and important well-being checks for older adults and military veterans across Central Iowa.

Thank you, Northwest Bank, for helping us set the table for those who need us. Your partnership makes a meaningful difference!

(Pictured left to right: Sophia S. Ahmad, vice president of philanthropy, WesleyLife; Cara Treybal, president of Ankeny locations, Northwest Bank; Travis Simpson, regional bank president, Northwest Bank; Shannon Draayer, executive director of community nutrition, WesleyLife)

08/14/2026

Something fresh is growing at the Iowa State Fair ... and it started just a few miles away.

Produce from the Prairie Meadows Hydroponic Farm on the WesleyLife Meals on Wheels campus is adding locally grown flavor to the fair this year. Even better? The same farm helps bring fresh, nutritious ingredients to older adults and military veterans throughout Central Iowa all year long.

See what’s growing AND and where you can taste it at the fair!

Greens and herbs from the hydroponic farm on the WesleyLife Meals on Wheels campus take center stage at the Iowa State Fair!

08/14/2026

From farm to Fair! Our locally and hydroponically grown fresh basil is helping to bring The Salad Bowl's "Caprese on a Stick" to life. Find these bites of deliciousness in the west balcony of the Agriculture Building at the Iowa State Fair!