You Can Make a Difference for Your Homebound Neighbors

Here at Meals On Wheels of Stark & Wayne Counties, we're always in need of volunteers to help deliver meals to our homebound neighbors.

It's a great way to stay active and make a difference in the community. From the time they gather at one of our 21 locations in Stark and Wayne counties, to actually delivering the meals to our clients' homes, volunteers are interacting with people who enjoy their company and depend on their spirit of service.

As a volunteer, you'll typically help one day a week, and deliver the same route each time. That way, you'll become familiar with the streets and neighborhoods you travel, and get well acquainted with the clients on your route.

Arrival time is around 10:30 a.m., and deliveries begin at 10:45. Most routes take between 60 and 90 minutes to complete. We provide training for new volunteers, and mileage reimbursement is available.

It's important to note that our volunteers do more than just deliver meals. They offer warm smiles and peace of mind—for our clients, and their loved ones. Volunteers are often the only people our clients see during the day. If a client doesn't answer the door, or if our volunteer notices something else out of the ordinary when they arrive at the home, the volunteer is instructed to call our office to notify us.

We then attempt to call the client; if we're not able to reach them, we then contact a relative or neighbor that the client had previously designated, just to let them know. Following this simple procedure, some clients have been rescued from potentially catastrophic situations. In some cases, lives have been saved.

We believe passionately in the work we do and are proud of the dedicated service our volunteers provide every day. Can we count on you to lend a hand? Just call us at 330-832-7220 to become a part of the team. Or visit our website at http://www.mow-starkwayne.org/ for more information.