Food for thought

“Meals on Wheels” has been a very worthwhile program here for more than 40 years, and hopefully it will continue long into the future.
To do so, however, takes help. A recent push to get more businesses and organizations involved in delivering the meals has had some success but more volunteers are always needed.
That’s especially important because as our population ages, the demand for the service increases. Unfortunately, that same aging population means a greying membership in local service clubs and other groups, which, in turn, translates into fewer and fewer people able to help out year after year unless new blood steps forward.
With just two routes of 10-12 people each, those involved stress it’s not a huge time commitment, particularly for a larger workplace staff. They also describe the fulfilling feeling of bringing a nutritious meal—and a little social interaction—to shut-ins who can’t cook for themselves and who may have no one else to help brighten their day.
As well, the current shortage of volunteers means only about two dozen people receive “Meals on Wheels” each weekday, which likely is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of need considering the annual community Christmas dinner typically delivers 75-80 meals to local shut-ins on Dec. 25.
A need, again, which only will grow as our population ages.
We all have a role to play in ensuring “Meals on Wheels” continues its needed work here. It’s our parents and grandparents, after all, who may be benefiting—and as St. Michael’s School principal Brendan Hyatt aptly put it: “Someday that could be us, right?”
Food for thought, indeed.