Effects of a Volunteer-based Lunch Program on Feelings of Loneliness in Elders

Each student will bring provided lunches once a week to their elder participant's residence, and they will share lunch together for an hour once a week for six weeks. Students will enroll as Meals on Wheels volunteers and participate in the Meals on Wheels pre-program training. On the day of their scheduled lunch, students will first arrive at the Meals on Wheels designated meal-drop location and pick up two lunches, one for them and one for their assigned elder. They will then drive to their assigned elder's residence and eat lunch with them for one hour.

Students will not bring provided lunches to an elder participant's residence. The elder participants in this arm will simply continue receiving daily meals from Meals on Wheels with no accompanying student.