Homebound seniors in Palm Harbor and Dunedin can get a hot lunch and a wellness check delivered to their door five days a week through Neighborly Care Network's Meals on Wheels program, and the 60-year-old nonprofit needs more volunteer drivers to keep routes covered.

Neighborly, headquartered in Clearwater, operates Senior Cafés at 1700 Klosterman Road in Palm Harbor and 1515 County Road 1 in Dunedin. It also runs home-delivery routes throughout both communities for residents 60 and older who are homebound due to illness, isolation, or disability. Meals are free or low cost depending on eligibility, funded primarily through the Older Americans Act.

The program delivered 403,800 Meals on Wheels countywide in 2025, according to Neighborly's website. Drivers bring a different dietitian-approved dish each weekday and are trained to spot health changes during their brief visits.

More than a meal

Anita Cihlar, Neighborly's licensed dietitian and nutrition director, told the Tampa Bay Times in a report published Sunday, July 13, that drivers look for warning signs like a normally well-dressed client appearing disheveled. They're trained to call 911 or contact family members when something seems off.

For recipients who live alone, the daily knock matters. Melvin Swartout, a 96-year-old Marine Corps veteran who receives deliveries at his Largo apartment, keeps a collection of handwritten notes from drivers on a filing cabinet in his study. One reads: "Mel, you are fearfully and wonderfully made."

"They're like family to me," Swartout told the Tampa Bay Times.

Jeff Johnson, state director of AARP Florida, said isolation hits Florida seniors especially hard because so many moved from other states, leaving behind longtime social networks. Loneliness can raise blood pressure, increase stroke risk, and weaken immunity, Johnson said.

How to volunteer or sign up

Neighborly has open delivery routes at several Pinellas County sites. Even one to two hours a week helps, the organization said on its LinkedIn page. Sign up at neighborly.org/volunteer.

To refer a family member or neighbor for meal delivery, call (727) 573-9444.

The nonprofit is also raising funds through its "60 for 60" campaign, aiming to collect at least $60,000 by December 2026 in honor of its 60th anniversary. Donations are accepted at neighborly.org.

Local Senior Café schedule

• Palm Harbor: 1700 Klosterman Road. Activities at 11 a.m., lunch at noon, Monday through Friday. (727) 336-3027.
• Dunedin (Palm Lake Village): 1515 County Road 1. Activities at 11 a.m., lunch at noon, Monday through Friday. (727) 336-3360.