PEI·NewMeals on Wheels P.E.I. is expanding its capacity to serve Islanders by hiring its own chef to prepare meals.Nearly 68,000 meals were delivered across the Island last yearThinh Nguyen · CBC News · Posted: Sep 18, 2025 2:00 PM EDT | Last Updated: 30 minutes agoChef Mike Silvester says cooking for Meals on Wheels is a unique challenge because he’s cooking for people who have mastered classic dishes. (Thinh Nguyen/CBC)Meals on Wheels P.E.I. is expanding its capacity to serve Islanders by hiring its own chef to prepare meals.Mike Silvester joined the team at the end of August. Part of his role is to support the organization’s Rural Routes program, which delivers frozen meals to seven rural communities on the Island.”It’s a really unique challenge where you know you’re really cooking food… for the people that have mastered the classics. So, you know, you have to really be on your toes,” Silvester told CBC’s Island Morning Thursday.”And it gives me that creative opportunity to really put some nutritious, fun meals out there.”The program, launched last year, serves residents in Eastern Kings, St. Peter’s Bay, Vernon River, Belfast, North Shore, Hunter River and North Rustico, at a cost of $5 per meal.Haley Zavo, provincial co-ordinator for Meals on Wheels P.E.I., said bringing Silvester on board will help the organization grow the program and deal with capacity challenges.”It’s been a great change for us,” Zavo said. “There’s more opportunity for flexibility, and also our chef can be solely focused on preparing the best meals possible for folks that need it.”‘We’ll be delivering in more communities’Meals on Wheels P.E.I. has been operating as an umbrella group since 2022, but its 12 local chapters have long been delivering fresh, hot meals, mainly to seniors, people with disabilities, and others who face physical barriers to meal access. Each chapter runs independently.Zavo said some chapters partner with Health P.E.I. facilities, such as manors or hospitals, to provide meals, but those kitchens can only prepare a certain number of meals each day.”In hiring our own chef and kind of increasing our capacity, that’s going to allow us to also support those chapters,” she said. “So that there aren’t people who are stuck on wait lists for weeks or months, and that they have more readily available access to meal delivery.”Haley Zavo, provincial co-ordinator for Meals on Wheels P.E.I., says volunteers are needed to make sure rural communities have access to the service. (Thinh Nguyen/CBC)Demand is strong. Zavo said that last year, more than 420 unique members were served and nearly 68,000 meals were delivered across the Island.The Rural Routes program currently delivers about 180 meals per week.Zavo expects those numbers to increase.”We’ll be delivering in more communities in the year ahead.”Cooking for classics, with a twistSilvester prepares the frozen meals out of the kitchen at St. Joachim’s Church in Vernon Bridge.With years of experience, from cooking at Dalhousie University to working with Feed Nova Scotia, Silvester said this job has been challenging.He must consider a lot of factors, including client needs, portion sizes, nutrition and cost. The chef said his goal is to balance familiar dishes with creative elements, making meals that freeze and reheat well while introducing new flavours.”It’s harder than I thought.”Meals on Wheels hopes to provide access to meals to more of the Island. Pictured is an example of a meal delivered by the Sudbury, Ont. chapter of Meals on Wheels. (Meals on Wheels – Sudbury/Facebook)Silvester often puts his own spin on traditional meals.”I’m doing grilled chicken, but, you know, I’m incorporating a lot of like, pesto and things like that that you wouldn’t maybe normally see in a type of meal like this,” he said.”We’re doing a lot of seafood pies, a lot of classic casseroles, but with maybe a little bit of twist in there, with some fennel and some panko crumbs and things like that, just to introduce some new ingredients too.”Delivering meals, building connectionsZavo said while private partners help support meal delivery, volunteers remain vital to the program, and more are always needed.”It’s a real kind of mutual benefit that our volunteers really enjoy building relationships with members that they’re delivering meals to, and it becomes a really important part of their week,” she said.Volunteers use their own vehicles and pick up pre-packed meals from a designated location, such as a long-term care facility or hospital. Our volunteers really enjoy building relationships with members that they’re delivering meals to, and it becomes a really important part of their week.- Haley Zavo, Meals on Wheels P.E.I.They receive a delivery list and special instructions, then drive to various addresses to deliver meals. In most communities, Zavo said the whole process takes about an hour.She added the hours are flexible, and people can volunteer as much or as little as they like.Those interested can sign up through the Meals on Wheels P.E.I. website, call 902-969-2780, or email info@mowpei.org.Zavo also encouraged anyone who wants to organize a Meals on Wheels program in their own community to reach out through the website.For Islanders interested in receiving meals, Zavo said the easiest way is to call 211 and ask to register for Meals on Wheels. Someone from the organization will then follow up to connect them with the service.With files from Island Morning
Meals on Wheels P.E.I. expands with new chef to meet growing demand
