Meals on Wheels San Francisco unveils its newly installed backup generator at The Sangiacomo Flynn Building in San Francisco’s Bayview neighborhood. This critical infrastructure upgrade that will ensure uninterrupted operations to prepare and deliver meals to thousands of homebound seniors across the Bay Area, even during power outages or natural disasters.
A prolonged federal government shutdown this fall has stirred fresh uncertainty for thousands of Bay Area residents who depend on nutrition programs to keep food on the table. For isolated seniors who already live one bad break away from going hungry, the stakes run even higher when disasters knock out power. It is why a new investment in emergency readiness for Meals on Wheels San Francisco’s industrial kitchen arrives at a critical moment.
Sutter Health has provided $100,000 to support Meals on Wheels San Francisco’s Backup Generator Project, which has completed installation of a massive generator at the organization’s central kitchen in the Bayview. “The new backup generator will keep the entire operation going for three days in the event of an emergency,” said Jennifer Steele, CEO of MOWSF. The commercial facility prepares up to 10,000 meals a day, including home-delivered meals for more than 5,000 older adults across San Francisco and San Mateo counties. It also supplies hundreds of thousands of meals each year to homeless shelters and guests at the city’s Navigation Centers.
“Food security is foundational to health. Investing in resilient infrastructure keeps essential services running so the most vulnerable aren’t left behind when the power goes out or access is disrupted,” said Will Douglas, a community health director at Sutter Health.
Emergency Ready
Without backup power, outages can take the entire MOWSF kitchen offline, including the refrigerators and freezer essential for food safety. That disruption would ripple quickly. Last year alone, MOWSF prepared and delivered 1.6 million meals to homebound residents and another 918,000 meals for community partners serving people in need. “Many clients are aging in place with limited mobility,” Steele said. “Losing meal delivery for even a day can mean skipped medication, worsening health or complete isolation.”
MOWSF is part of a citywide Disaster Feeding Workgroup with the San Francisco Department of Emergency Management, coordinating how food gets to vulnerable neighbors when normal systems falter. The new generator will help ensure continuity in those critical operations. Most of the project’s $1.5 million cost is being covered by the California Department of Aging, Senator Scott Wiener and San Mateo County. Support from organizations like Sutter Health, as well as the William G. Irwin Foundation, Bothin Foundation, Amazon and Plant Construction / Don Libbey, helped close the final gap.
“This new generator represents our unwavering commitment to the seniors who depend on us. It ensures that even in the face of power outages or emergencies, our kitchen will continue to operate, our staff can stay on-site safely and our clients will continue to receive nutritious meals and essential care,” said Steele.
Beyond nutrition, Meals on Wheels’ daily deliveries come with wellness checks, social work support and human connection. That combination keeps thousands of seniors safe at home, surrounded by dignity rather than risk.
The new generator unveiling took place this week with Senator Scott Wiener and other community leaders, funders and partner organizations joining MOWSF to celebrate the strengthened emergency food safety net. The upgrade helps ensure a vital lifeline continues running when the lights go out.
