Founded in 1972 as Mobile Meals of Topeka, Inc., Meals on Wheels of Shawnee and Jefferson Counties, Inc. delivers a hot meal Monday through Friday to homebound individuals in Shawnee and Jefferson Counties. The meals are prepared  primarily at the Washburn Institute of Technology by Chartwells and are delivered by volunteers. The underlying objective of the program is to prevent deterioration of the elderly and handicapped individuals in the community, thus making it possible  for them to live independently in their own homes for as long as possible. The friendly visit with the volunteers is socially helpful and the daily visit is important in case of an emergency situation.