irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2024
What they reported doing
- #1 primary $57KSOCIAL SERVICES - PROVIDE DIRECT COMMUNICATION WITH CLIENTS FOR THE PURPOSE OF ANSWERING QUESTIONS, FILING INTAKE REQUESTS, RESOLVING PROBLEMS AND CASE MANAGEMENT.
- #2 $79KCOMMUNITY OUTREACH AND VOLUNTEER SERVICES - INCLUDES ALL FUNCTIONS ASSOCIATED WITH THE RECRUITMENT, ASSOCIATION AND RETENTION OF VOLUNTEERS. DURING 2024 OVER 450 VOLUNTEERS PROVIDED SERVICES FOR MEALS ON WHEELS OF SYRACUSE.
named programs · 2 · from sources
What they call their work
Home-Delivered Meals
Provides weekday delivery of hot and cold nutritionally balanced meals to homebound clients, primarily seniors, in Syracuse and surrounding areas.
Volunteer Opportunities
Engages volunteers in meal delivery routes and kitchen shifts to support operations and provide social connection to clients.
activities · 3 groups
What they do
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Food Distribution and Hunger Relief 5 activities
- Community engagement and outreachEngages the community through regular updates on volunteer opportunities, fundraising events, and partnerships to sustain and expand meal delivery and connection services.
- Free meal services regardless of ability to payProvides meal delivery services to individuals in need without requiring financial contribution, ensuring access based on need rather than payment capacity.
- Large-scale meal delivery operationsDelivered 194,350 meals in one year and served 738 homebound individuals aged 21 to 96 in the Syracuse area, demonstrating the scale and reach of the organization’s meal delivery program.
- Volunteer recruitment and coordination for service deliveryRecruits, coordinates, and retains volunteers who support meal preparation, delivery routes, and kitchen operations, engaging over 450 volunteers in 2024 and approximately 613 in both 2019 and 2021.
- Weekend and advance meal provisionProvides two frozen meals on Wednesdays and two extra cold meals on Fridays to ensure food coverage over weekends when regular delivery does not occur, supporting continuous nutrition for clients.
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Home-Delivered Meals for Seniors and Homebound 3 activities
- Daily safety and wellness check-ins during meal deliveryConducts daily wellness checks during meal deliveries to monitor client safety and well-being, enabling emergency response when needed—such as identifying a gas leak or assisting a client who had fallen and was stranded for days.
- Nutritionally balanced meal preparation with dietary accommodationsPrepares and delivers meals that include a protein, vegetables, starch, and milk or juice to support daily nutritional needs and hydration, with accommodations for common dietary restrictions when available.
- Weekday meal delivery for homebound individualsPrepares, packages, and delivers balanced meals on weekdays to homebound individuals in Syracuse, Jordan, and Nedrow, including one hot and one cold meal per delivery to reduce the need for meal preparation. Delivers meals within a consistent time window to support routine and reliable access to food.
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Public Benefits Navigation and Enrollment 1 activity
- Client intake, case management, and support servicesProvides direct communication with clients to answer questions, process intake requests, resolve issues, and conduct case management to support access to meal delivery and related services.
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financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$2.36M
Contributions & grants$1.95M83%
Program service revenue$340K14%
Investment income$70K3%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$1.78M
Program expenses79%
Admin / overhead17%
Fundraising4%
Salaries & benefits$789K
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$4.65M
Cash$1.51M
Investments$2.85M
Liabilities$140K
Net assets$4.51M
Liquid reserves29.4 mo
4 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue +49.9%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
paid leadership · 1
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| MASON KAUFMAN | EXECUTIVE DIR. | 40 | $82K |
board members · 11
- ANGELA THOR — DIRECTOR
- BRUCE WODKA — PRESIDENT
- CHRISTIAN JONES — DIRECTOR
- FLORENCE MANDEBVU — DIRECTOR
- JOSH NELSON — DIRECTOR
- LARRY ECHOLS — VICE PRESIDENT
- LINDA LLEWELLYN — SECRETARY
- LINDSEY HART — DIRECTOR
- RHONDA LEE — DIRECTOR
- SHANNON NELSON — TREASURER
- THADDEUS MALLEY — DIRECTOR
relationships · 20
Who they work with
- Administration for Community Living Government — Funded by a grant from this agency
- Administration for Community Living Government — Public funding partner supporting meal delivery services.
- CenterState CEO Partner — Recognized as an Economic Champion by CenterState CEO in 2014 and 2015.
- Christian Brothers Academy Partner — Volunteered during their 10th grade retreat to support Meals on Wheels of Syracuse.
- Cooney Heating & Air Conditioning Partner — Donated $1,000 to support meal delivery and connection services.
- Cooney Heating & Air Conditioning Partner — Provided a $1,000 donation to support meal delivery and care services.
- Grady Health System Partner — Integrated food prescriptions into primary care
- Greater Syracuse Chamber of Commerce Partner — Recognized by the Greater Syracuse Chamber of Commerce for community commitment.
- Local businesses and organizations Partner — Corporate partners engaged in team volunteering, sponsorship, and long-term community impact.
- Meals on Wheels America Network — Member of the national Meals on Wheels America network.
- NYSOFA Government — Public funding partner supporting meal delivery services.
- National Grid Partner — Collaborates with utility provider to address safety hazards identified during meal deliveries.
- New York State Office for Aging Government — Funded by a grant from this agency
- Onondaga County ALTCS/DALTCS Government — Public funding partner supporting meal delivery services.
- Onondaga County Department of Adult and Long-Term Care Government — Funded by a grant from this agency
- Syracuse Auto Dealers Association Partner — Supported Meals on Wheels of Syracuse at the 2026 Charity Preview event.
- Syracuse Auto Dealers Association Partner — Supported Meals on Wheels of Syracuse through the 2026 SADA Charity Preview.
- community groups Partner — Supports meal delivery through volunteering, sponsorship, and funding
- local businesses Partner — Supports meal delivery through volunteering, sponsorship, and funding
- organizations Partner — Supports meal delivery through volunteering, sponsorship, and funding
strategies · 3
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Individualized Nutrition and Client-Centered Flexibilitymethodology: client_centered_nutritionBy offering flexible menu planning with accommodations for common medical dietary needs, the organization improves nutritional outcomes and engagement, because tailoring meals to individual health conditions increases relevance, adherence, and perceived dignity in service delivery.
- Meals and Social Connection as Holistic Supportmethodology: integrated_support_servicesBy delivering meals along with daily social contact and wellness checks, the organization promotes physical health, emotional well-being, and safety among homebound individuals, because regular human interaction reduces isolation, increases psychological stability, and enables early detection of health or safety concerns.
- Volunteer-Enabled Daily Contact Modelmethodology: volunteer_dependent_modelBy relying on volunteers to deliver meals, the organization sustains daily contact capacity at scale, because community-based volunteer engagement reduces operational costs while deepening local investment and enabling consistent human connection as a core service component.