Orlando Health to sponsor Casselberry senior dining site in 2026

Meals on Wheels, Etc. announced Jan. 15 that Orlando Health will be the sponsor for its largest neighborhood dining site in Casselberry beginning in 2026. The sponsorship includes Orlando Health branding at the Casselberry Recreation Center and a plan for continued partnership activities supporting the program that provides meals, social activity and information for residents age 60 and older.

Neighborhood dining sites provide a hot, nutritious meal along with daily social activity and informational programming Monday through Friday. For many Seminole County seniors, these sites are more than a meal; they are a place to connect, learn about health resources, and ease the strain on caregivers. Meals on Wheels, Etc. also operates a separate neighborhood dining site in Sanford, maintaining a network of weekday meal sites across the county.

The sponsorship ties a major health system to a community nutrition program at a time when public health officials emphasize social determinants of health, such as food security and social isolation, as drivers of older adult wellbeing. Regular access to nutritious meals can help manage chronic conditions like diabetes and heart disease, reduce emergency department visits, and support aging in place. Daily programming and communal dining also counter loneliness, a recognized risk factor for poor mental and physical health among older adults.

Orlando Health’s involvement generally reflects a broader trend of hospitals and health systems partnering with community organizations to meet needs outside traditional clinical settings. Those community benefit investments can expand local capacity for preventive services and shore up the social safety net, but they also raise questions about long-term funding and equitable access. Neighborhood dining depends on stable staffing, volunteer support and facilities that are accessible by public transit or local neighborhoods. For Seminole County residents who rely on these weekday sites, continuity matters.

Locally, the Casselberry Recreation Center will carry Orlando Health branding as part of the agreement, and Meals on Wheels, Etc. says the organizations will continue joint activities tied to the dining program. The immediate impact will be maintained weekday meals and programming for seniors who use the Casselberry site, and the partnership may bring additional outreach or health-focused events in the coming year.

For residents, this announcement means a locally based meal and social option will remain supported in Casselberry through 2026. As partnerships between hospitals and community providers grow, keeping an eye on access, transportation options and program stability will be important for Seminole County’s aging neighbors and the families who care for them.