Click on any of the questions below to learn more, or
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General Questions
What is Take Them A Meal?
What is Take Them A Meal?
Glad you asked! Take Them A Meal is an easy (and free!) online tool for coordinating the delivery of meals to loved ones. If someone is ill, elderly, or welcoming a new baby, oftentimes family, friends, co-workers, and church members rally around these families to take them meals. Our website simplifies this process so that your time and energy can be spent elsewhere.
Questions about... Coordinating a Meal Schedule
I've never done this. How do I get started?
I've never done this. How do I get started?
YAY! You are a rock star for wanting to help!
To create a meal schedule, click the 'Create a Meal Schedule' link (purple button near the top of our website). Fill out the simple one-page form with the necessary details for providing meals to your recipient. When you're done, click the purple button at the bottom of the page and your meal schedule has been created!
Can I edit my schedule?
Can I edit my schedule?
Of course! If you need to make changes to your schedule after creating it, click the 'Coordinator Login' link (in the upper right corner of your meal schedule page). Enter your admin password and scroll down to make any necessary adjustments.
When you click 'Edit Meal Schedule' in these settings, you'll see the same form you submitted when you initially created your meal schedule. You can make changes as needed. When you finish making edits, just click 'Update Meal Schedule' (purple button at the bottom of the page) and your changes will be saved.
How do I extend my meal schedule?
How do I extend my meal schedule?
When you are logged into your 'Coordinator Settings', you can change the dates of your meal schedule by clicking on the 'Edit Meal Schedule' link. Scroll down to adjust the dates of when meals are needed, and click 'Update Meal Schedule' at the bottom of the page and your changes will be saved.
Questions about... Customizing and Removing Dates on My Meal Schedule
Can I include more than one meal (or need) per day on a meal schedule?
Can I include more than one meal (or need) per day on a meal schedule?
Yes! Use our 'Multiple Meals Per Day' function. This helpful tool makes it easy to list several needs in one day. For instance, you can: 1) schedule several meals per day - breakfast, lunch, and dinner, 2) ask for parts of a meal to be provided - main dish, sides, dessert, or 3) include other ways to help - dinner, transportation to chemo, ride to doctor, etc.
Find this link under the green 'Edit Your Meal Schedule' header in your 'Coordinator Settings'. Name one, two, or all three fields anything you'd like and then click the 'Update Settings' (purple link). Now your multiple fields will display on your meal schedule.
If there are days when what you've asked for (meals, assistance, etc.) are not needed, you can click the gray button on the far right side of your meal schedule and confirm that you want to cancel (remove) that entry from your meal schedule.
Questions about... Invitations and Reminders
How do I tell others about the meal schedule?
How do I tell others about the meal schedule?
Once your schedule has been created, just click any of the links under the green 'Invite Friends' banner near the top of your meal schedule page. Use any of these icons to invite friends through email, Facebook (including Messenger), or copy the link to share wherever it's easiest for you to spread the word.
You can also use our 'Invite Friends' tool (visible in your 'Coordinator Settings') to enter email addresses and send invitations that way. If you enter email addresses here, just separate each address with a comma or semicolon.
If you choose to share your meal schedule on Facebook, you control where that information is listed - on a Timeline, in a Group or Page you manage. (Remember, if you post a link to a meal schedule on Facebook, anyone who can view that link can view the meal schedule so make sure you and your recipient are comfortable with your level of sharing.)
What emails does Take Them A Meal send?
What emails does Take Them A Meal send?
When someone creates a meal schedule, they will receive an email confirmation of that schedule with the necessary details for accessing and sharing their schedule.
When someone signs up to provide a meal on a meal schedule, they have the option of adding their email address to their sign-up. If they do, they will receive an email reminder (typically one day before the meal is to be provided). If the person providing a meal enters their email address, both the schedule's coordinator and schedule recipient will be copied on this reminder email, as a courtesy.
Why am I not receiving reminder emails?
Why am I not receiving reminder emails?
Reminders are only sent when the person who signed up to provide a meal includes their email address with their sign-up entry. If no email address is listed, then no reminders are sent for that meal.
It's also possible that your email provider may be directing our messages to your spam folder. So be sure to check there too and mark the messages as 'not spam' so they will be sent to your inbox instead.
Questions about... Providing Meals
How do I sign up to take a meal?
How do I sign up to take a meal?
It's super easy. When you are on a meal schedule page, locate the date you want to provide a meal and click the purple 'Take' button. You'll be prompted to enter a few brief details (your name, meal, etc.) and then click the purple 'Sign Up!' button. Your sign-up is reflected on that date on the meal schedule immediately.
Can I edit or change my sign-up once it's on the schedule?
Can I edit or change my sign-up once it's on the schedule?
In most cases, yes you can. Just click the gray gear icon (on the far right side of your entry). You can then click to either 'Change' or 'Remove' your sign-up.
If you are unable to edit your entry, it's likely because the coordinator adjusted the settings so that only they can make edits to entries on the meal schedule. If that's the case, contact the schedule's coordinator directly to let them know of your need to change your sign-up. You can find their name and contact information at the top left of the meal schedule page.
Does Take Them A meal provide the food?
Does Take Them A meal provide the food?
Our website is a tool to simplify the process of caring for others with meals. Most people make and take a meal from their own kitchen or arrange a local delivery. But, since that's not always possible, we have partnered with a local cafe (here in Virginia) that makes a selection of meals and ships them via FedEx.
You can see these meal selections and place an order in our store.
Questions about... Sending a Meal Instead
Questions about... Ending a Meal Schedule
Do I have to end my meal schedule when it's over?
Do I have to end my meal schedule when it's over?
Our website will routinely remove inactive schedules so it is not necessary for you to formally close your schedule. If you want to go ahead and end it (either for your own convenience or because your recipient's needs have changed), you can use the 'Disable Meal Schedule' link (found in your 'Coordinator Settings'). This will make it so that your schedule is no longer accessible. Though, as coordinator, you can always choose to reactivate a schedule at any time.
Questions about... How Churches Can Use Take Them A Meal
Questions about... International Usage of Take Them A Meal.com
Questions about... Privacy and Security
Will you spam me if I enter my email address on your website?
Will you spam me if I enter my email address on your website?
No way. We hate spam as much as you do!
When you sign up to provide a meal on a schedule, you have the option of including your email address. (It is not required for signing up on a schedule.) When you sign up, you are also given the opportunity to hear from us from time to time but that's your choice. There is a check-box that's easily visible right before you submit your sign-up entry. It reads 'Send me weekly inspiration and meal taking tips from Take Them A Meal'. If you don't want to receive those messages, just uncheck the box and you won't get them. Easy as that.
Questions about... I Just Want to Help!
I want to help but don't know anybody who needs a meal schedule.
I want to help but don't know anybody who needs a meal schedule.
Almost anybody would appreciate the gift of a meal. (Wouldn't you?) So, pay attention to those around you - consider who might appreciate or benefit from the tangible care and support of meals. There are many obvious reasons why a meal schedule can be created (a new baby, death in the family, etc.) but there are so many more not-so-obvious reasons to create a schedule. And oftentimes, those are the instances when it's most appreciated.
So think about who in your circles is in need of encouragement or a thank you - Your child's classroom teacher? Your church secretary? A neighbor down the street? Or do you know someone who is going through a hard time - Someone who is facing the anniversary of the death of a loved one? Or what about a mom who is at her rope's end trying to potty train her child? Or the person whose child just left for college? There are so many reasons to share the love with a meal.
Thanks for visiting our website.
As you can tell, we love what we do. And we hope you will enjoy doing it too.
Feel free to reach out to us with any questions or stories about how you are making meals that make a difference in the lives of people in your world. Email us at
info@takethemameal.com.