After 15 years leading Meals on Wheels of Hamilton County, Beth Gehlhausen has retired, closing a remarkable chapter in a career defined by public service and advocacy.
Her retirement marks the culmination of more than four decades of leadership across Hamilton County and the state of Indiana.
Beth Gehlhausen has served as Executive Director of Meals on Wheels of Hamilton County since 2011
Beth’s path to nonprofit leadership began in law enforcement. After graduating from Indiana University, she served as a police officer at IU-Bloomington before relocating to Hamilton County, where she worked as a probation officer. It was there, working closely with victims of crime, that she recognized a critical gap in services. In 1986, she founded Prevail, Inc., a victim assistance organization serving Hamilton County. For 18 years, she built Prevail into a trusted community resource supporting survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault.
Her career continued to center on collaborative, community-based solutions. She served as Project Director for the Hamilton County Family Justice Center, helping implement a co-located, multidisciplinary model to serve victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, elder abuse, and child abuse. She later provided statewide training to Community Corrections Advisory Boards through the Indiana Department of Correction and served in transitional leadership at Dress for Success Indianapolis.
When Beth joined Meals on Wheels of Hamilton County in 2011, she brought both operational experience and a deep understanding of vulnerable populations. Over the past 15 years, she has guided the organization through increasing demand, strengthened healthcare partnerships, and reinforced its mission to deliver medically tailored meals to residents who rely on the program not just for nutrition, but for human connection. She was instrumental in launching the organization’s frozen meal program, to fill provide weekend/holiday options for clients.
Under her leadership, Meals on Wheels has remained focused on dignity, safety, and personal care — values that mirror Beth’s lifelong work. The foundation Beth helped strengthen ensures Meals on Wheels will continue serving Hamilton County’s elderly or those with disabilities, facing food insecurities, or unable to prepare food for with compassion and excellence.
Beth’s retirement marks the end of a significant era — and the continuation of a legacy built on service.