Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Human Services topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Metro Community Services reports rising demand for Caldwell transportation, meals and weatherization
Summary
Metro Community Services told the Caldwell City Council on April 21 that demand for its free door‑to‑door transit, Meals on Wheels and weatherization services has grown; the agency asked the city to sustain funding while it expands kitchen and training capacity at a new Caldwell facility.
Metro Community Services told the Caldwell City Council on April 21 that demand for its programs serving seniors, people with disabilities and low‑income residents is rising and that the agency is expanding its Caldwell operations to respond.
The agency said ridership on its free door‑to‑door transportation service in Caldwell totaled 5,245 boardings last year and is already “well over a thousand” so far this year. The speaker said the organization provided 35,623 Meals on Wheels deliveries in Caldwell last year and more than 9,000 so far in 2025; Metro’s total daily meal count across Ada and Canyon counties is about 2,000.
The presentation came during a special presentation portion of the council meeting and was delivered by a representative of Metro Community Services. The presenter told the council the agency is concentrating on three service areas in 2025: transportation, housing weatherization and Meals on Wheels, and asked the city to continue existing financial support.
Metro said weatherization work in Caldwell last year fully served 40 households and that nine households have received full service so far in 2025, including heating system and water‑heater replacements and insulation upgrades. The agency said it is hiring staff to keep up with demand.
To expand its meal capacity, Metro described planned improvements at a Caldwell headquarters building at Skye Ranch that would add kitchen infrastructure, a cafe intended to generate sustainable revenue and training space for its weatherization crew. The presenter said bilingual signage and outreach (English and Spanish) are part of a rebranding and outreach campaign called “Welcome Aboard.”
The agency also announced a fundraising/awareness event planned for September called the “Race for the Rest of Us,” described as a 0.5K, and reiterated that reimbursement rates from regional providers do not fully cover operations for its free transportation program.
Council members thanked the presenter and expressed appreciation for Metro’s work. No formal council action was taken on the presentation; the item was informational.
• Who spoke: Metro Community Services representative (presenter).
