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Spectrum Community Services this month forged a new partnership with Open Heart Kitchen as the producer of meals for its homebound senior food delivery program.
The collaboration with OHK marks a shift away from longtime partner Stanford Health Care Tri-Valley for Meals on Wheels.
The health care provider had prepared fresh meals for Spectrum’s program since 1997 — then-ValleyCare Health System — but it no longer has the kitchen capacity due to closure of its preparation facility in Livermore.
“We are deeply grateful for their commitment and proud of what we accomplished together,” Spectrum Executive Director Lara Calvert said regarding Stanford Health Care Tri-Valley. “As we begin this next chapter with Open Heart Kitchen, our priority remains unchanged: ensuring that seniors in the Tri-Valley continue to receive hot meals produced locally in the Tri-Valley by dedicated local neighbors five days a week.”
Through the partnership with OHK, effective July 1, medically tailored meals will continue to be available, according to Calvert.
Spectrum intends for the partnership with OHK to be long-lasting. The initial contract has a four-year term, mirroring the length of the contract Spectrum holds for Meals on Wheels.Â
“We are honored to partner with Spectrum Community Services to help ensure homebound older adults in the Tri-Valley continue receiving nutritious meals and compassionate support,” OHK Executive Director John Bost said in a statement. “Our organizations share a deep commitment to food access, dignity, and community care, and we look forward to working together to support seniors who rely on Meals on Wheels for nourishment, safety, and connection.”
The Stanford Health Care building planned for closure at 1111 E. Stanley Blvd. in Livermore does not meet modern seismic standards, so kitchen operations were slated to stop at the end of the contract with Spectrum, Stanford Health Care Tri-Valley spokesperson Denise Bouillerce told Pleasanton Weekly in an email interview.
“This decision is driven by safety and regulatory requirements and is not a reflection of the value Stanford Health Care Tri‑Valley places on the program,” Bouillerce added.
Additionally, due to the lack of acute care provided at 1111 E. Stanley Blvd., Stanford Health Care Tri-Valley has decided to “formalize the removal of hospital services with California Department of Public Health from this facility and is in the process of winding down operations within the building,” Bouillerce said.
Shifting food preparation to the kitchen at Stanford Health Care Tri-Valley in Pleasanton was not an option because it is at capacity, Calvert said.
As for funding, public dollars for food preparation have been shifted to OHK.
Spectrum’s Meals on Wheels contract is partially funded by the Alameda County Area Agency on Aging. However, a funding gap remains.
Spectrum continues to seek community donations for an estimated gap of $5 per meal.
“That’s a big part of why community support matters so much right now,” Calvert said.
In addition to the shift in partnership, Spectrum is relocating its Livermore office to the Tri-Valley Nonprofit Alliance’s Common Point Nonprofit Center, the site of dozens of other nonprofit organizations.
Located just half a mile away from OHK’s Vineyard Resource Center, the new location allows for a deeper partnership with OHK, according to Spectrum officials.
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