Kevin McAllister
Founder and CEO Women in Data
Young Professionals 2022
EDUCATION by Dakota Morlan
At the age of 40 , Kevin McAllister has trouble remembering a time when he was not making hard decisions .
He got an early start , joining AmeriCorps to work in early childhood literacy while attending Solano Community College . He later graduated from Sacramento State and earned a master ’ s degree in organizational leadership from National University in 2011 , attending virtually while working full time for the San Juan Unified School District overseeing their Bridges after school program . In 2010 , he founded a nonprofit to advance opportunities for foster youth in the Sacramento region — he was informally adopted at 15 — and he has held leadership positions in various nonprofit organizations ever since .
But it is in his executive director role with Meals on Wheels by ACC , which hired him in 2019 , that his acumen has been most tested .
Meals on Wheels America is a program operated by the nonprofit ACC Senior Services that supports Sacramento County seniors with nutritious meals , social connection , community resource information and other essential services . Before the COVID-19 pandemic , the program delivered an average of 491,000 meals annually to seniors , five days a week , with a small group of paid drivers and roughly 500 volunteers — many of them retirees . When COVID-19 forced people inside , it increased the need for meal deliveries but reduced Meals on Wheels ’ volunteer pool by about 60 percent . It could have been a perfect storm . But it wasn ’ t . Sending volunteers home in the earliest days of the pandemic , when they were most needed , was perhaps the hardest decision McAllister has ever made . “ I had just enough time to learn what Meals on Wheels did and get to know my staff before we went into COVID mode ,” McAllister says , adding that people were afraid and unsure of what would happen next . “ Is this the right decision ?” he remembers asking himself . “ What if COVID doesn ’ t spread like they say it will ?”
In the end , McAllister “ went with his gut .” Before most people had fully realized the gravity of COVID-19 , he was already stocking up on supplies and food pallets . His preparedness paid off .
“ We were not only able to keep operations going but ordered so many additional supplies that we were able to help other senior nutrition programs across the state . … That ’ s something I ’ m proud of ,” McAllister says . “ The mission is not just seniors here … it ’ s seniors everywhere . My people , meaning human beings , we should show up for each other .”
Reserve rations weren ’ t the only fuel behind Meals on Wheels . It also benefited from the support of a community that recognized the urgency of the mission . In a time of great need , firefighters and law enforcement officers stepped up to deliver .
“ We had all these essential workers that came together to help keep seniors fed ,” McAllister says , recalling the first weeks of the COVID-19 lockdown .
In the weeks and months to follow , McAllister and his team would find new ( and better ) ways to provide meals , now every day of the week . The program partners with local eateries , food banks , and delivery services like DoorDash and provides hazard pay for employees .
“ We never had to shut down , and we were able to increase our capacity by over 125 percent ,” says McAllister . “ We built a whole new program around it and will continue to partner with restaurants to get meals to seniors .”
In 2021 , Meals on Wheels fed 4,443 seniors a total of 526,000 meals , which was 35,000 more meals than their pre-COVID average .
When asked how he makes decisions with stakes so high , McAllister replies , “ My goal is always to do what ’ s best for the people that I serve , and so I don ’ t take decisions lightly , but I make them because they have to be made in order for us to truly meet the mission of our organization .”
July 2022 | comstocksmag . com 43