Mission Makers
“Last year, United Way Meals on Wheels delivered more than 230,000 meals in the community. And that was all thanks to the generosity of nearly 800 volunteers,” explains Candace O’Neil, VP of Community Engagement, United Way of Central Alabama. O’Neil emphasizes how volunteers do much more than deliver hot balanced meals to homebound senior adults and disabled persons in Jefferson County.
Meals on Wheels delivery volunteers provide much needed socialization to those who may not otherwise have that on a day-to-day basis. “The volunteers, they start to learn the seniors, and they build relationships. They both start to look out for each other,” says O’Neil, adding, “We know that with the volunteers checking in on our seniors, it offers independence. It allows seniors to age longer in their home safely, and it just promotes their well-being overall.”
Since establishing Meals on Wheels in Jefferson County almost ten years ago, the program has significantly grown. “Today, we have about 11 staff who help us operate the program, but it’s also thanks to nearly 800 volunteers as well who help us.” The program makes it easy for volunteers to set the parameters on their commitment from choosing a certain day or days of the month, volunteering individually or as a group, and choosing a task such as prepping and packing meals to delivering to a certain neighborhood. “We’ll also train them so that way they know exactly what to do,” says O’Neil. “So, it’s a great experience, an easy experience, and it takes as little as an hour of your time to do a good deed like this in the community.” Easy includes having a number of meal pick-up sites near delivery routes. “We partner with senior centers and churches to have drop sites so that way the meals are much closer to residents and volunteers can pick up there and deliver to the homebound seniors on an easier basis,” explains O’Neil.
If you know someone in Jefferson County you believe could benefit from Meals on Wheels, simply call Meals on Wheels at 1-800-Age-Line. “From there a specialist will complete a screening assessment,” explains O’Neil. “And then depending on that assessment, they will either refer to Meals on Wheels or if for some reason they don’t qualify, they’ll refer them to other resources that are available to them in our community to help.”
You can make a difference. The Meals on Wheels program offers you three different ways to help them continue this important service to the homebound of our community. “We like to say that people can give[donate], they can volunteer, and they can advocate for us.” Learn more by visiting www.mowjeffco.org. †
Watch the video below to learn more about the Meals on Wheels program and how you can get involved.
