GRANDVILLE, Mich. — Meals on Wheels Western Michigan is calling on community members to help with deliveries this holiday weekend.
“We are very blessed to have a lot of amazing volunteers, but they do take vacations, like you and me, so we’re looking for more hands to help us, specifically on July 3 because we know a lot of our volunteers will be out of [town] enjoying some much-needed rest and time off,” Kayla Harold, the Meals on Wheels Western Michigan volunteer coordinator, told FOX 17 Wednesday.
The organization, based out of Grandville, helps thousands of local seniors, their families and caregivers each year by not only providing meals but also providing important social connections.
Harold explained that about 30 percent of their clients say the Meals on Wheels delivery drivers are the only people they see during the week.
“Especially over the holidays, while we’re enjoying time with our family and friends, we want to make sure that they also get that touch of human connection,” she added.
Additionally, for many clients, the food they receive from Meals on Wheels is the only food that they will receive each week.
“It’s so crucial to be getting them those meals, especially during those holidays, during those long weekend times, we just want to make sure people are fed not only good food but also nutritious food as well,” Harold said.
Meals on Wheels Western Michigan has about 55 routes that go out on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays— Volunteer delivery drivers are responsible for about half of those.
“Roughly 100 volunteers are walking through our doors every single week to help us deliver,” Harold said. “Not to mention the hundreds of volunteers we also use in other aspects of our organization, so volunteer drivers are extremely crucial.”
Click here to fill out a volunteer application or call Meals on Wheels Western Michigan at 616-459-3111 and ask for Kayla.
