Meals on Wheels seeks help and helpers
The local Meals on Wheels team is appealing to local residents for additional support.
Wanted are more volunteers, as well as people willing to sponsor meals for Chatham-Kent citizens in need.
Barbara Noorenberghe, volunteer and community services co-ordinator at St. Andrew’s Residence, out of which Meals on Wheels operates, said the quest is on for additional funds to help sprinkle a little extra Christmas joy.
Meals on Wheels delivers hot, nutritional meals to about 300 clients on Mondays, Wednesday and Fridays, and they’re looking to augment that over the holiday season.
Noorenberghe said the holiday support will fuel more than just meals. Every dollar donated directly supports essential needs that help keep the program running. Those include the meals, as well as reliable transportation of the delivery trucks, and the acquisition of daily supplies beyond the meal ingredients, such as packaging.
Noorenberghe said there are many options people can choose from for supporting the program, starting with just $10 to sponsor one meal. There are options for $30, $50 and $100 donations as well. Donations are based on an individual’s comfort level of support.
For more information, reach out to Meals on Wheels at 519-351-6325. They are located at 99 Park St. at St. Andrew’s Residence.
“Your generous act doesn’t just fill their bellies; it nourishes their spirits, offering comfort, independence, and a dash of hope,” Meals on Wheels officials said.
By receiving sponsorships of meals, Noorenberghe said Meals on Wheels can send food and support to more people in need over the holidays.
“We can send them out at Christmas time for somebody that may not have a lot of family in this area. It’s also just to know that we are thinking of them and we are there for them,” she said.
Noorenberghe said volunteers deliver more than just food.
“They deliver the meals to our seniors,” she said. “We offer a variety of healthy options, but as well, we do a check in to see how our folks are doing. Our volunteers will say hello and sometimes it’s the only person that senior would see that day or that week, for a variety of reasons.”
In terms of volunteers, Noorenberghe said more are needed. Help could be for all three delivery days, or even just one. Routes typically take about an hour to complete.
“It’s not a whole-day commitment. We’re usually done by noon,” she said.
Anyone interested can contact Noorenberghe at 519-351-6325 or via email at bnoorenberghe@standrewsresidence.com.
Noorenberghe screens potential volunteers and takes them on a bit of a test drive
“I reach out to the volunteers and see if they’d be a good fit, and then I like to do some hands-on. We’ll do a route together to walk them through what’s involved with being a Meals on Wheels volunteer,” she said.
Meals on Wheels has operated out of St. Andrew’s Residence for more than 15 years, and has been part of the fabric of Chatham-Kent for more than half a century.
