Volunteer Dot Quiring delivers a meal to Berdine Buller on her Monday route for Meals on Wheels – HeartlandBeat photo
The Henderson Meals on Wheels service has been around for many years, so it’s sometimes taken for granted. But it is a vital service benefiting seniors who may be homebound, recuperating from surgery, disabled, or unable to cook or shop for themselves.
Amazingly, the HHCS Meals on Wheels program delivers around 1500 – 1600 meals in a calendar year, according to Nutrition Services Director Tyler Martin. He is in charge of coordinating the program, scheduling deliveries, and providing the meals for pickup near the hospital kitchen.
That’s a lot of meals, and right now the program needs more volunteers to help with delivery, according to HHCS Marketing/Public Relations Director Luke Fochtman. Depending on the schedule, they deliver to four to ten people a day.
Here’s a typical daily delivery of hot and cold meals from the HHC kitchen, placed in the cooler and ready for volunteers to deliver.
Meals are provided to those who contact the hospital and schedule when they’d like them delivered, whether it’s daily or just a few days a week. They are available Monday – Friday, excluding holidays.
“Right now, I make deliveries on Thursdays, and Tyler delivers on Fridays. So we currently only have three volunteers, Karla Block, Dale Epp, and Dot Quiring, who assist with deliveries,” said Fochtman.
Dot Quiring has been volunteering for the past year, delivering meals on Mondays. She was already leading a devotion and hymn sign on Monday mornings at Legacy Square, and when she read about the need for more volunteers, she decided to help.
Dot picks up the ready-to-go cooler inside the south door of Rosewood Court and heads out on her Monday morning route.
“It doesn’t take that long, about half an hour. I usually deliver around 8-10 meals, and it’s a nice way to connect and chat a bit with those who need meals and just check on them. It’s a really easy way to serve your community. They are also flexible, and I can let Tyler know if I’m unavailable on my day,” said Quiring.
Fochtman has been delivering meals off and on since he began working at HHCS and understands the need for more volunteers.
Volunteer Karla Block said,“ I already had been volunteering at Legacy Square playing piano and have gotten to know some staff in recent years. So, when I heard of the need for additional people to deliver Meals on Wheels, I knew it was something I could do and would enjoy. It’s just one day a week and takes me about half an hour. Plus, it’s a way to stay connected with our wider community.”
The delivery of a meal takes an average of 10 minutes, and often it’s just a matter of dropping it off and picking up the used plastic containers. “So it’s in and out pretty quick, and some folks just leave a cooler on the porch, so there isn’t a need to go inside,” said Fochtman.
“Ideally, we would like to have five volunteers plus an additional one for backup,” said Fochtman. Volunteers usually pick up the meals scheduled for that particular day outside the hospital kitchen between 10:45 and 11:15 a.m.
A typical meal includes a hot dish and cold items prepared for serving that day at Legacy Square, said Fochtman. It provides a nutritious meal with fruits, vegetables, and protein for $6.44 per meal.
If you are interested in this service or volunteering to assist, you may contact Tyler Martin at 402-723-4512 ext. 4029. Here is the link on the HHCS website for more information about the program.
