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Beyond food: Meals on Wheels provides comfort and vital human connection. Here’s how you can volunteer.

Meals on Wheels recipients often have limited mobility, financial constraints or health issues

A man volunteers. (RDNE Stock project, RDNE Stock project via Pexels.)

There are always people who can use a helping hand, just like there are always people who have the time or resources to help those individuals.

A growing portion of the United States population is comprised of adults 65 and older, with those over the age of 85 being the fastest growing group. As inflation rates continue to be the highest we’ve seen in four decades, there’s a vulnerability of our aging citizens all over the country, but, more specifically, there’s a need right here in Wayne County.

Not only are countless individuals in this age range who are isolated, but many have limited mobility, financial constraints or health issues that make it a challenge to access regular, nutritious meals.

This is where you come in. Wayne County Meals on Wheels needs more volunteer drivers. By volunteering a few hours of your time, you can help the aging population in your community in numerous ways.

Partnering your effort and time with Meals on Wheels is a way to contribute to a compassionate mission that strives to provide a hot meal every day to people who are home-bound due to their age, a disability or various other factors.

Through the Meals on Wheels program, recipients not only gain the nutrition they need, but vital human connection. These meals and the friendly interactions volunteers provide to those on the receiving end become a crucial part of their day. It’s a way to also provide them comfort and a sense of belonging.

As a volunteer, you are more than just a delivery person. You are a friendly face, a check-in, and sometimes the only person they might see that day.

The program, which dates back to 1954, has been instrumental in providing warm meals and a touch of kindness to older adults for decades. Volunteers are the lifeblood of Meals on Wheels.

The program operates Monday through Friday, with volunteers committing to three-hour slots anywhere between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m.

People who volunteer with Meals on Wheels have a profound impact on the lives of so many in their community and can help ensure no one in Wayne County goes hungry or feels alone.

If you would like to learn more about volunteering for Meals on Wheels, click or tap here.