Getting healthy, nutritious meals to some of the area’s most vulnerable residents is a worthy cause, but drivers for the Meals on Wheels program are in short supply.
There’s no danger of the program shutting down but as it stands, Family and Community Support Services (FCSS) staffers are currently filling the vacancies to deliver meals to anywhere between six and 13 residents.
Volunteers should be friendly, reliable and able to pass a criminal and vulnerable sector records check, said FCSS program coordinator Maureen Schiller, who coordinates drivers for the program.
She said the time commitment is minimal and drivers are not expected to work every day as it’s a once-in-a-while kind of job that only takes up about an hour. Volunteers should also be willing to chat and provide some company, if only for a short time.
“For some of the people, the people who deliver the Meals on Wheels are the only people they see that day. They’re not as isolated when they have somebody coming to deliver meals,” said Schiller.
The program has run into problems finding drivers during the winter months because some are snowbirds who are out of the country during the winter, making the need for new volunteers more important, said Schiller.
“It’s a wonderful program. It keeps some of our seniors in their houses longer, which is important not only to the community but to them, so if we can do a few things like Meals on Wheels and home support to keep them healthy and happy, to me that’s a bonus,” said Schiller.
To volunteer contact FCSS at 780-349-5900.
