Written by Rosie Walter, Senior Center Director
Our volunteers play a vital role in the care of our senior citizens that receive Meals On Wheels. While the primary job of volunteers is to deliver meals they are also encouraged to spend a moment visiting. Many of our volunteers have several years’ experience delivering meals, so they have developed friendships and they have become familiar with their habits so they know when something is not right, such as not answering the door, a paper left on the porch, or the mail has not been picked up. We have weekly instances when a volunteer notifies Senior Services about a senior not coming to the door or answering their phone. Our staff then calls the homebound seniors' emergency contact person to report that Meals On Wheels did not make contact with them. If we receive no answer from the contact person then we will call the police department for a welfare check.
Because of the heads-up reporting from our volunteers, we have been able to summon help to seniors who were indeed home but were unable to call for help. We are so very grateful for our volunteers to be the “eyes and ears” out there, reporting when they feel something is not right at their home.
If you are looking for an opportunity to volunteer for a worthwhile cause, consider delivering for Meals On Wheels. We are always looking for volunteers to work on a rotation schedule with other volunteers. Every Meals On Wheels route has 6 groups of volunteers that rotate each week. You would deliver every sixth week. If you are interested in volunteering, please call the Senior Center at 785-823-7555 and Speak to our Meals On Wheels Coordinator, Kathryn Diaz-Dunn.