1972 : The Lake Oswego Meal Network is originally called the Welcome Break and started as a six-month pilot project. The church parishes of Lake Oswego initiated this program to determine if the older residents of Lake Oswego would be interested in a lunch program. Seven churches participated, each cooking and serving lunch in turn to persons who came to a small house on Avenue A, which was then the Adult Center and later to Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church Parish Hall.
The church parishes in Lake Oswego became interested in elderly nutrition after seeing statistics showing that one-third to one-half of allillnesses in older adults resulted from malnutrition, not necessarily caused by financial need.
1975 : Lake Oswego Adult Community Center is built at 5th Street and Avenue G, where lunches are served.
1975-2004 : The volunteer Welcome Break Board performs all the functions of the meal program management, personnel, ordering, and equipment repairs/purchasing. The increasing responsibilities for the for these volunteers, and legal liability associated with operating a food services program, called for a restructuring of the program. The City of Lake Oswego took over responsibility for program management. At this time, The Welcome Break Board changed its name to the Lake Oswego Meal Network Advisory Board (LOMNAB).
2004- 2005 : LOMNAB transforms itself from an operations board to an advisory board while retaining its 501(c) (3) non-profit status, entering into an agreement with the City of Lake Oswego. The goal of the Board was to defray the costs of the meal program by fundraising the deficit between the contributions of patrons and actual costs, to provide program feedback and to help promote the program.
2005 :First Board Co-Chairs Andy Harris and Gail Keck step forward to provide Board leadership, helping to create bylaws, mission and structure. Their eye for program continuity served the Meal Program exceptionally well. They developed several fundraising partnerships, including Safeway Market, and sought grant opportunities from foundations such as the Wanser Foundation. The Board also worked with staff to create the “Cinnamon Roll Fundraiser” to bring back Jo Volm’s, former Welcome Break chef, much loved cinnamon rolls at the Adult Community Center and at the Lake Oswego Saturday Farmer’s Market.
2009 : In order to initiate a sustainable funding source, LOMNAB partners with New Seasons Market Mountain Park. The purpose of this would be to fundraise during November for the annual Donate Dinner event, which includes passing out cards to shoppers and encouraging them to donate at the New Seasons Market cash register when making their purchases. To be more accurate, in 2009, the New Seasons Event event was to ask their customers to donate to LOMOW throughout the month of October. We had volunteers helping at the doors for 6 of the 31 days. In 2022 New Seasons Markets put all their fundraisers in November (8 days before Thanksgiving), and called it Donate Dinner.
2022 :New Season Palisades joins in efforts to support Meals on Wheels Lake Oswego for its annual Donate Dinner Fundraiser, held during November of every year.