Heather Bell
RADFORD – Meals on Wheels offers seniors a chance for a hot meal five times a week, and an often welcome respite from the isolation felt by some homebound folks.
Now, the Meals on Wheels program is searching for volunteers to deliver those vital meals to the people who need them.
In Radford and Fairlawn, the Meals on Wheels program is administered by Radford Fairlawn Daily Bread at their facility in Radford. Meals on Wheels coordinator Karen Jones said she is looking for people to help deliver Meals on Wheels.
Jones said volunteers pick up home-cooked meals from Radford Fairlawn Daily Bread between 9:30 and 10:15 a.m. on the day scheduled and deliver to the homes listed on their route. Safety protocols are in place, she said. Each Meals on Wheels route takes 60 to 90 minutes to complete. Volunteers typically deliver one route on the day they are scheduled. They are scheduled based on availability and the need for each day, Monday through Friday.
“We would like to add 10 volunteers to our MOW program,” Jones said. “A weekly or monthly commitment is not required. Scheduling is flexible and is based on a volunteer’s availability and need for each week.”
Jones said the effects of the Meals on Wheels program on its recipients often go beyond food. “For our neighbors who receive a home-cooked meal, it is more than a meal,” she said. “For some, it means seeing at least one person each day when otherwise they may not. For others, it is their only means to a meal. And for many, it is also a sense of security for their family who may not be able to see them due to living far away or work schedules that keep them away all day. But for each of them it is a sign that there is a community that cares for them.
“Being a volunteer with Meals on Wheels is a rewarding experience and one that makes a big difference in the lives of many,” Jones said.
Anyone interested in volunteering may sign up on-line for one of two upcoming MOW Volunteer Informational/Trainings: Wednesday, May 25, 2022, at 9 a.m. (https://bit.ly/May25MOW) and Thursday, May 26, 2022, at 9 a.m. (https://bit.ly/May26MOW).