Peggy Revell
The “Meals on Wheels” program here is in need of some helping hands.
“We’re always looking for volunteers,” said local co-ordinator Gaby Hanzuk. “We have 52 weeks in a year, and in a perfect world I would have all 52 weeks covered—which doesn’t happen.”
Hanzuk said the program, which delivers meals to local seniors and others who aren’t able to cook for themselves, has seen a decline in volunteers over the years.
She noted there are various reasons for this, such as fewer people joining local service clubs that help out with “Meals on Wheels” and many others just being more busy with such things as work.
“We’re always on the lookout for new people to help,” Hanzuk stressed. “If there’s new churches or new organizations popping up—we could sure use the help.”
Hanzuk estimated the time commitment each day to deliver meals is up to an hour. It starts with picking up the meals at the back of Rainycrest, then following the given route to drop them off.
Currently there are two routes (downsized from three as there were not enough volunteers), with about 10 meals to deliver per route.
Volunteer groups—such as service clubs and churches—as well as local businesses could help out by volunteering for one or two weeks of the year, Hanzuk explained.
Or individuals can volunteer their time and be added to her list of volunteers, who then would be called sporadically throughout the course of the year whenever help is needed.
Many hands, of course, make for light work.
“When you think of the 52 weeks of the year, and your commitment would be just one week,” said Hanzuk. “So 365 days of the year, I’m asking for five days of your time, or your group’s time.
“It doesn’t seem a lot . . . when you break it down that way,” she reasoned. “It’s not a big commitment.
“Most of the groups that I have on board now are doing two weeks, some are doing just the one route,” she added.
“Even if they did one route one week, once a year, that would be a phenomenal help. That’s five hours.”
Hanzuk said the program has had support from some local businesses in years past, and that was a great help, noting that during the week these businesses were helping out, they would let their staff off a half-hour early to deliver the meals.
December, January, February, and March are especially hard to find volunteers, Hanzuk noted, as many of those who do donate their time to the program have headed south to warmer climes for the season.
Summer also is a hard time to find volunteers since many people are on vacation.
But working with the program is “rewarding,” Hanzuk enthused, and those who receive meals are very grateful.
The number of homes which the program delivers to ranges anywhere from 25-30, Hanzuk said. There is a short waiting list from time to time, although they’ve been lucky enough to get people on in a “very short time.”
“Our mandate is the shut-ins. People who really can’t get out and about to do their own shopping or even to stand up in their own kitchens and cook their own meals,” she explained.
“I’m finding as time goes on that it’s really not about how old you are. It has more to do with how disabled you are,” Hanzuk added, noting her 90-year-old mother-in-law can “run circles around” her while there are those accessing the service who are younger than herself because of issues like a brain injury.
As well, “Meals on Wheels” will deliver to people coming out of the hospital—healing from such things as hip replacements and broken legs or arms.
“So it varies. It just really does,” Hanzuk said. “It’s really hard to pinpoint one group.
“We are there to help people who cannot physically or mentally prepare their meals on their own any longer.”
“Meals on Wheels” has been in the area for more than 40 years, Hanzuk noted, with her being the co-ordinator for the past 14.
“It’s been really a major part of our older adult programs,” she remarked. “Some [programs] have come and gone, but ‘Meals on Wheels’ is still here and there’s a reason for that because people really do need to eat, and they need to eat properly, especially when they get older.
“It’s so important,” she stressed.
Pointing to the recent call by community members for assisted living units here, Hanzuk said a program like “Meals on Wheels” can help seniors stay in their homes for as long as possible.
“People live happier and longer when they’re at home,” she reasoned, noting clients are “very grateful” for the program and the opportunity to live as long as possible in their own homes instead of having to make the move to Rainycrest or another facility.
“It’s really important that we work together, as a community, to ensure our parents, aunts, uncles brothers, sisters, whoever in their golden years, that they’re happy ones.”
The program also helps to give families a sense of security and safety when it comes to members who are registered for the program, Hanzuk added.
“If you have an elderly parent and you do not live in the area, you live out of town somewhere, you can at least be rest assured that at least once a day, somebody five days a week is going to end up at your parents’ place to drop off a meal,” she said.
“And my volunteers are very, very astute—if they spot something that doesn’t seem right to them, they will call me right away and then the investigation starts to make sure that this person is okay.”
Those interested in volunteering their time for “Meals on Wheels” can contact Hanzuk, who works from home generally from 8 a.m.-1 p.m., at 274-3764.
