MOW falls short of cash needed to feed elderly
(CNS): Meals on Wheels is facing a tough 2025, already battling to find the money needed to feed vulnerable seniors after its first annual fundraising effort fell well short of the funds it collected last year, even as the cost of living rises, hitting donors’ pockets. As the government spends millions of dollars on grandiose legacy projects, the charity is short by around $24,000, meaning some of Cayman’s elderly residents could go hungry this year.
MOW, one of the Cayman Islands’ oldest non-profit organisations, serves cooked food to around 350 homebound or disabled seniors daily. Following its annual Meals on Wheels Change for Change Donation Drive on Friday, 31 January, and Saturday, 1 February, the fundraiser missed the goal of $60,000, which they collected last year, by a significant amount, only collecting just over $36,300.
“While we had an incredible turnout of volunteers and unwavering support from the community, we recognise the economic challenges many are facing,” said MOW CEO Jennifer L. West.
“Several individuals told us they were committed to donating again but were only able to give about 10% of what they had in previous years. We understand these financial constraints all too well, as fundraising is a daily challenge for us. Despite this, we remain steadfast in our mission to end senior hunger by providing daily hot meals to our vulnerable seniors across Grand Cayman,” she added.
The charity is intent on finding other cash or food donations to do what it can to ensure no senior in Cayman goes hungry. MOW still has the support of Davenport, its key sponsor, and there are more fundraisers to come to hopefully make up the shortfall so volunteers can keep delivering the food and offer a few moments of company for the elderly people they deliver to.
The charity thanked Davenport for its continued support and the many volunteers who gave their time to collect donations for MOW, saying their dedication is invaluable.
“Many of the event volunteers are from outside of our core delivery team. Their support allows our regular volunteers to continue with meal delivery while funds are being raised,” West explained, adding that around 300 people had helped with the fundraiser.
The next major fundraising event is the Orange You Glad Gala, which will take place on Saturday, 24 May, at the Marriott Beach Resort, with this year’s theme “The Silk Road”. In the meantime, the public is asked to give what they can in the coming weeks to keep MOW on the road.
See here for more information on how to support Meals on Wheels by volunteering or donating or contact MOW by emailing info@mealsonwheels.ky or calling 769-1974.
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Category: Community, Fundraiser, Local News
Many individuals and companies would donate but getting requested due diligence, financials and a simple regulatory confirmation that it is a registered charity from the board is like getting blood from stone. Time for the board to step up and resolve these issues if they want more donations.
If the government can afford free school lunches which include breakfast, lunch, snacks and drinks to all government school children, regardless of the parents income bracket… they must be able to afford food for our seniors… unbelievable!
Unbelievable Dart is milking this country blind and he can’t donate $100k a year to this notable charity to take of the people who built this country for him to have his success?
We at Cayman Community Farm know how you feel as we go through the same problem. All our vegetables which are organic are donated to the elderly and needy. None are sold.
Trying to raise money for our farm is tough and I am surprised about the lack of interest. It does seem to me that more people should be assisting the needy as the wealth gap gets worse each year.
Claptrap’s Romantic Interest on Meals on Wheels’ Funding Shortfall: Caymanmunda’s Budgeting Masterclass!
Ah yes, Caymanmunda’s ruling class at it again.
• No money to feed the elderly.
• No money for vital social programs.
• But when it comes to securing loyalty from the civil service?
• OPEN THE FLOODGATES!
Because, you see, Caymanmunda’s financial strategy isn’t about priorities—it’s about political survival.
• Meals on Wheels: “We need $24,000 to keep feeding 350 seniors.”
• Caymanmunda’s Leaders: “That sounds like a you problem.”
• Meanwhile… Cost of Living Adjustments (COLA) for the 3,200-strong Civil Service?
Let’s do some quick math:
“Sorry, funds are tight right now!”
• If each of those 3,200 civil servants received just a $100/month adjustment, that’s $3.84 million per year.
• If that number was $200/month per civil servant? Now we’re at $7.68 million.
• But a small $24,000 to feed the elderly?
Caymanmunda’s leadership has never hesitated to buy loyalty—they just don’t bother hiding it anymore.
Because in Caymanmunda, if you’re not politically useful, you don’t exist.
Let’s take a look at where the money actually goes:
• Millions for failed projects. (The cruise port disaster? The unfinished mental health facility? The dump that burns like Mordor? Take your pick!)
• More millions for “advisors” and “consultants.” (Because clearly, someone needs to be paid six figures to tell the government what is blatantly obvious.)
• Oh, and let’s not forget the vehicle upgrades! (Nothing says “good governance” like brand-new SUVs for officials who do absolutely nothing!)
And yet, somehow, they can’t find a tiny fraction of that for Meals on Wheels.
“It’s not a priority,” they say.
No, but bribing 3,200 civil servants absolutely is.
Here’s the reality:
• The people who built this country, who worked their entire lives, who should be enjoying their twilight years in dignity—
• Are relying on charity just to eat.
• Because Caymanmunda would rather hoard votes than do the bare minimum for its most vulnerable citizens.
At this point, they might as well start handing out copies of “How to Survive on Saltines and Tap Water” instead of actual meals.
Final Verdict: Caymanmunda at Its Finest—Bribe the Bureaucrats, Starve the Seniors
Will the government step in to fix this?
No. No, they will not.
• The elderly can’t organize mass protests.
• The elderly don’t have government contracts.
• The elderly can’t be bought off with salary increases.
So Meals on Wheels will continue to beg for scraps, while the ruling class continues to funnel millions into their safety net of political support.
Caymanmunda’s leadership has made their choice.
Now, the only question left is—
Will the people keep accepting it?
These long psychotic rants are like nail on chalkboard, seriously. It reads exactly like an over-caffeinated and/or coked out lawyer writing a satirical legal document with the mid-paragraph headings.
>>> But what could be Claptrap’s takeaway from the Duke of Common Sense? (“sorry, not sorry!”)
An outdoor hobby is great for mental health if you’re suffering from cyberpsychosis.
Dear Duke of Common Sense,
Ah, at last! The moment we must properly address your most illuminating critique—your declaration that my words, my tirades, my symphonies of satire, sound like claws on a chalkboard.
How fascinating! How poetic! How… unintentionally insightful.
You see, dear Duke, you did not merely insult me—no, you accidentally stumbled upon the perfect analogy for the grating agony of modern policymaking in the hands of certain fringe ideologues.
Yes! That screeching sound you so vividly evoked? It reminds me—oddly enough—of the very policies they wish to impose upon us all.
For if any of their brilliant ideas were to see the light of day, if their reckless economic misadventures were enshrined into law, then truly, the unbearable wail of claws against slate would seem… melodic by comparison!
At least that sound is temporary.
At least that sound can be silenced.
But the fallout from their brand of absurdity?
That, dear Duke, would last for generations.
A Musical Interpretation
So let us now take your metaphor to its logical conclusion. My words are not merely the discordant screech of a single clawed hand against chalk—they are a grand symphony. A carefully composed orchestration of logic, satire, and ruthless efficiency, conducted at full volume for those who would rather not listen.
And yet, you do listen, don’t you?
You cannot help but listen.
Because unlike the policies of the aforementioned clueless visionaries, my compositions at least carry meaning.
You call it noise—I call it a warning.
And unlike the misguided, budget-burning, economy-wrecking hacks who fancy themselves leaders, I at least know how to conduct a performance.
And Yet, You Remain Front-Row…
But here is what truly fascinates me, dear Duke:
If my words are as unbearable as you claim, if they truly pain you like nails against slate, then why, oh why, do you keep coming back for more?
Why torment yourself?
Why dwell upon them?
Why acknowledge their presence at all?
And yet, here you are. Reading. Reacting. Writhing.
A man who despises the music, and yet refuses to leave the concert hall.
So I must ask: is it that you hate my words… or that they strike a nerve too deeply to ignore?
Perhaps you are not so much repulsed by them as you are… haunted.
Touching Grass? No, I Prefer the Depths.
Now, about your kind advice to go outside, breathe the fresh air, touch some grass…
How thoughtful! How concerned you must be for my well-being! But alas, dear Duke, I must confess—I prefer coral, conch, and the open ocean to the banality of lawn care.
You see, when I step away from the keyboard, I do not simply touch grass—I touch the depths.
I swim from shore to reef.
I free dive.
I scuba dive.
I engage in sparring, because unlike certain policymakers, I understand the value of discipline and preparation.
But alas, as I resurface for air, I cannot help but be reminded that some minds remain forever submerged beneath the weight of their own mediocrity.
As to My Employment…
Dear Duke, you have expressed some concern regarding my employment status, as though it were of great consequence to you. And while I deeply appreciate your curiosity, I must clarify:
Such a thing is not compatible with my obligations to those I deeply care for.
And yes… dear Duke… that does include you.
For what would you do without me? What would become of you, should my words no longer grace these pages? How empty your days would be! How joyless your nights! A world in which you had no tirades to dissect, no satire to misinterpret, no symphony of logic to desperately resist!
Why, it would be unbearable, would it not?
Fear not, dear Duke. I remain, ever vigilant, ever writing.
On Supporting the Free Press
Now, on a related note, I must commend you on your shining support for this very platform—the only truly independent news outlet on the island. Surely, your contributions to this website far outshine mine!
For I, humble as I am, merely believe that such a platform is vital to the future of the island.
I find their reporting outstanding. Their coverage is critical. Their accuracy? Unmatched.
And so, I put my wallet where my words are.
How about you?
Do you support this platform not just with your comments, but with your contributions? Do you ensure that true journalism continues not just through discourse, but through action?
Or are you merely a spectator, watching the grand performance unfold, throwing the occasional peanut from the gallery, hoping—praying—to be noticed?
I do wonder.
On the Matter of Titles
Ah yes, you have chosen to brand yourself as the Duke of Common Sense, a most curious title.
As for me? Where I originally hail from, I would not advertise my own titles publicly in any formal manner. You see, my original country was… let’s stay diplomatic… quite enthusiastic about abrupt political transitions regarding those with noble lineage.
Let us just say that certain traditions were not particularly welcoming to those who bore such distinctions. And so, out of prudence, I do not dwell upon such matters.
Unlike you, dear Duke, I find that titles mean little when they are self-bestowed.
For what is nobility, if not upheld by action? What is authority, if not grounded in wisdom? And what is common sense, if not wielded with care?
A title means nothing if the one who bears it does not live up to it.
Final Notes from the Rogues’ Gallery
My dear Duke, your self-appointed nobility cannot save you here. Your critique, while certainly enthusiastic, is ultimately hollow—a well-polished pebble tossed at a fortress wall.
You have, perhaps unknowingly, provided the perfect metaphor for the disastrous governance we critique—policies so catastrophically incompetent that, in comparison, the sound of nails on a chalkboard would be a soothing lullaby.
You call my words unbearable. Yet they remain in your mind, etched like a chorus that will not fade.
And so, dear Duke, I must thank you once more.
You have listened. You will continue to listen.
Because you cannot turn away.
And I?
I will keep playing.
With deep appreciation for your accidental genius,
Yours truly,
The Rogues’ Gallery.
Grogg The Ork,
The Adeptus Ridiculous,
The Secretary to the Ambassador of Absurdistan,
Claptrap’s Romantic Interest,
And countless others!
Post Scriptum: A Truth Beyond Satire
Ah, but dear Duke, before we close this most delightful exchange, there is one final matter—one that transcends wit, satire, and the grand symphony we have conducted thus far.
You see, despite all of this, I do care about you.
And it is not me who is truly threatened by the present lunacy.
It is the elderly, whose savings and security are eroded by incompetence.
It is your friends, whose futures are gambled away by reckless policy.
It is the economy, upon which your own well-being depends.
It is the education of those you care for, those who will inherit whatever remains after the fools have finished their games.
This fight? It is not my fight.
I do not fight for me.
I fight because I care.
I fight because someone has to.
And if you strip away the satire, the absurdity, the wordplay that so troubles you—you will find, at its core, a simple truth:
I do this because I refuse to look away.
Do you?
This is about two levels below chatgpt effluent, dear clappy.
I don’t listen to your “music”, it’s just a little inconvenient to have to scroll a mile past your excessively long comments.
…the fundraiser missed the goal of $60,000, which they collected last year, by a significant amount, only collecting just over $36,300.
“Several individuals told us they were committed to donating again but were only able to give about 10% of what they had in previous years.”
The two sections above is what jumped out to me from this story. The situation in the community with cost of living is not just affecting MOW… there are thousands of people who are struggling. I can’t believe how much some things are costing at the supermarkets nowadays. Then you factor in gasoline, insurance, clothing, servicing, repairs, etc., and it really makes things difficult.
Meals on wheel volunteers are Angels..but can’t
help thinking the family members hanging about the yard should step up and help their own relatives instead of expecting others to take on the responsibility.
MOW also needs to do a purge of its data. Many are receiving this free meal each day, who should not be on the list. I know of several who are able to both physically and financially. It’s another case of politicians getting involved and facilitating voters.
Tomorrows headline: “MOW receives record online donations after shortfall made public”.
I just made mine!! Let’s make it happen. Our seniors deserve this!
Tomorrow’s headline: CIG quits unnecessary, excessive spending and reducing their own food and alcohol intake to support the MOW Seniors.
Think you should read the CMR article about a certain politician meddling in procurement processes of the civil service. Think he’s the only one? Civil Servants get all of the blame when it is politicians meddling.
Yet , Port Authority spent almost $100,000 on fireworks and feeding themselves.
Cayman. The land of the $30,000 decorative wishing well (and that is probably an underestimate).
The priorities of the elected and administrative government are so off track and misdirected it is beyond pitiful.
I’m a supporter of Meals on Wheels and other charities. Not casting aspersions on these, but is there any accountability to ensure donations are handled appropriately and that no one is using such charity as a personal fund?
I recall making repeated donations of clothes to the Red Cross, only to later discover a staffer was simply shipping everything to her variety store in Jamaica. She was fired but how many donated items directly benefited her pockets before she was busted?
Where is the oversight on charities? Just saying.
I reckon this is the case with just about all charities here. In an economic climate like this, the pressure falls on them to provide even more, despite income falling.
Ah well, maybe the government should just pay to feed its elders, instead of building wishing wells? or perhaps caymankind should do its thing, and friends, family, and neighbors should fix up some meals for these old people.