Mobile Meals CEO Alison Foreman spent significant amounts of time at her grandmother’s house while growing up. She saw firsthand that, at a certain age, her grandma’s mobility became limited and she often struggled to get proper nutrition. Those experiences were the beginning of Foreman’s self- described “deep connection” to the work of Mobile Meals. The Agency delivers weekly meals to 2,000 Toledo area older adults.
In addition to delivering meals, volunteers often stop to chat and take note of needs of the older adult, which might entail changing a lightbulb or making a referral for legal assistance. The cost of the meals are subsidized for qualifying individuals.
The Road to Mobile Meals
Foreman worked after college at Borders Books, a now closed retailer of books and music, before earning a Masters in Public Administration from Eastern Michigan University. She then shifted to working as a program manager for Borders’ charitable foundation, which transitioned into the national Book Industry Charitable Foundation.
While volunteering with Ypsilanti Meals on Wheels, Foreman learned they were hiring an executive director – a role she applied for and held for more than 10 years. While she loved her job in Ypsi, Foreman was drawn to Mobile Meals of Toledo due to the organization’s commitment and ability to provide medically prescribed meals to clients – ie, “renal meals” designed for people with kidney damage. Another draw was Mobile Meals Toledo’s own kitchen, housed in the old Mercy Hospital, which has a footprint that will allow expansion in the future. In Foreman’s first year on the job, the kitchen has increased its output by 25%.
A Love for Serving Others
Foreman plans to reduce the life expectancy disparity in Toledo. According to a report prepared by the Center for Community Solutions for the Area Office on Aging of Northwestern Ohio, residents in the Vistula Neighborhood have a life expectancy of 62.5 years – nearly 22 fewer years than residents of the Deveaux neighborhood, just four miles away. Foreman began a pilot program to address this issue in 2024, bringing meals to two apartment complexes in Vistula, with plans to expand further in 2025.
“We are talking about mature living here – some of the residents in our downtown community aren’t achieving that goal,” says Foreman. “A lot of that has to do with good nutrition and having access to food.”
Foreman’s typical day includes a mix of grant writing, talking to community donors or government officials and overseeing operational functions of Mobile Meals. She describes herself as a “working CEO”, because in addition to the big-picture tasks, she also delivers meals at times, answers phones as needed and helps with the event planning for fundraisers, like the upcoming “Pies & Pints” event in March.
Foreman is very active in the community, volunteering on her local co-op board and knocking on doors during the election season. When she travels, she sometimes volunteers with the Meals on Wheels program in other cities – having done so in Port St. Lucie, Florida; New Orleans, Louisiana; and Portland, Oregon.
“Even though my job is a community service job, it still fills my cup when I can go and do other things for the community,” Foreman says.
Q&A With Alison Foreman
Favorite TV show? I really like What We Do in the Shadows. It’s about vampires who live in New Jersey who are trying to take over the world and they are not very good at it. They end up liking humans too much to turn them into vampires.
Favorite book? I am a Jane Austen fan, so I love Pride and Prejudice. I especially love biographies and autobiographies as well.
What do you do for fun? I read a lot. I also love to hike. I’ve hiked a lot of places and I like visiting botanical gardens, so every time we travel we try to go to one or two botanical gardens wherever we are going.
How do you take care of yourself when you are working in a job that is taking care of so many other people? That is really hard and I think nonprofit people have a hard time with that. If I am really stressed I need to exercise. I use a rowing machine, even for just 10 minutes a day. I really try not to do any work on the weekends, so I shut myself down. It is also helpful to make time with your friends.
Is there a fictional character you identify with? I really like Elle Woods from Legally Blonde. She is positive, she wants to help other people and she wants to right wrongs.
What is something that people would be surprised to know about you? I am actually quite introverted. I enjoy being out in the community because I am sharing what goes on for this agency and how proud I am of all the work the staff does…but as soon as I am home I want to be alone. I’ve had to really practice being an extroverted person.
Celebrate Pi Day, March 14, and support Mobile Meals with PIES & PINTS featuring pies, craft beer and fun for all ages! At Earnest Brew Works locations ( 4342 S. Detroit Ave; 3134 W. Central Ave; and 25 St. Clair) from 4-8pm, with $10 deals, raffles.
