Senior Center 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 to visit. Many 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. There are weekly instances when a volunteer notifies Senior Services about a senior not coming to the door or answering their phone. Staff then calls the home-bound seniors emergency contact person to report that Meals On Wheels did not make contact with them. If there is no answer from the contact person the police department will be called for a welfare check.
Because of the heads-up reporting from volunteers, they have been able to summon help to seniors who were indeed home but were unable to call for help. The Senior Center is so very grateful for their 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. They 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 the Meals On Wheels Coordinator, Kathryn Diaz-Dunn.