SALISBURY — Meals on Wheels Rowan has announced Novant Health as its inaugural Community Champion Corporate Partner, launching a new sponsorship program that combines corporate philanthropy with hands-on volunteer opportunities.

As the inaugural Community Champion, Novant Health committed $20,000 to sponsor 1,300 meals throughout the year, ensuring that Rowan County seniors receive nutritious food and a friendly visit. 

As part of their commitment, Novant Health team members will also deliver meals to local seniors four times a year, coinciding with their quarterly sponsorship. These volunteer days allow Novant Health staff to connect directly with the community they serve. 

Each delivered meal tray featured a Novant Health sticker, a visible reminder of their support. On March 31, Novant Health representatives, including Novant Health Rowan Medical Center President Gary Blabon, kicked off their first delivery by covering four routes in the Salisbury area.

“Novant Health is setting the gold standards for corporate community engagement,” Meals on Wheels Rowan Executive Director Alexandra Fisher said. “Their support helps us provide more than just a meal — it brings safety checks, social connection and compassion directly to the doors of our homebound seniors who need it most.”

The Meals on Wheels Rowan Community Champions Corporate Partnership program offers businesses the opportunity to sponsor meals and provide employee volunteer opportunities to deliver meals and experience their impact firsthand. 

“At Novant Health, we believe in serving the whole community, both inside and outside our hospitals,” Novant Health Rowan Medical Center President Gary Blabon said. “Becoming the inaugural Community Champions allows us to live out that commitment in a powerful way by supporting the health and dignity of seniors in Rowan County.”

Novant Health is also partnering with Meals on Wheels Rowan to pilot a hospital discharge program aimed at reducing readmission rates among high-risk seniors. Through that initiative, recently discharged patients identified as food insecure or at risk of malnutrition will receive two weeks of home-delivered meals to support their recovery at home. During the two weeks, Meals on Wheels care coordinators will conduct in-home assessments with each client, determine ongoing needs and connect clients with additional resources to support their recovery and independence at home 

Meals on Wheels Rowan delivers meals to 325 homebound seniors in Rowan County each weekday. Of those, approximately 125 receive free meals, and 96 percent of them receive partial meal cost subsidies. The organization relies on a combination of federal funding, foundation grants, individual donors, church partners, businesses  and fundraising events. Support from the Community Champions program will help fill critical funding gaps, ensuring that every senior who needs a meal can receive one, regardless of their ability to pay. 

“Community partnerships such as ours with Novant Health are vital to sustaining and expanding services for the growing number of homebound seniors across Rowan County,” Fisher said. “At Meals on Wheels, we empower seniors to maintain their health, dignity and independence while aging. We are incredibly grateful for Novant Health’s partnership and commitment to the health and wellbeing of seniors in Rowan County.” 

Become a Community Champion

The Community Champions Corporate Partnership program offers a meaningful way for businesses to support Meals on Wheels Rowan- connecting your brand with a purpose and your people with an opportunity to serve. Participants choose the level and duration of their participation, whether it is a one-time sponsorship or a recurring commitment. Meals on Wheels Rowan works with each partner to tailor volunteer experiences that suit their team, from delivering meals to special projects.