Meals on Wheels program keeps on rollin’

Wednesday, April 9, 2008

The county’s homebound seniors who receive hot, nutritious meals delivered to their homes are at one end of the rainbow. At the other end are the volunteer drivers who deliver the meals. The rainbow is the county’s Meals on Wheels program, operated by the Charles County Cooperative Ministry on Aging Inc., a partner agency of the United Way of Charles County since 1992.

To be eligible to receive meals, seniors must be homebound, 60 or older and unable to provide suitable meals for themselves. Family members living with the senior might also be eligible. The drivers who deliver the meals are known for their desire to help others and for their love and compassion for the homebound seniors, according to a press release.

Girard Myers, who lives in Bryans Road and delivers meals in the White Plains area, retired from the U.S. Postal Service 28 years ago. He volunteers because he receives great satisfaction and loves to see smiles on people’s faces, according to the release.

‘‘The good Lord put us here to help one another, and it is wonderful to be able to do this,” he said in the release. ‘‘I am blessed to be helping others.”

Curtis Thomas, also of Bryans Road, said he has been delivering meals with Myers for about a month. He retired from the Department of Labor’s Job Corps two years ago.

‘‘I get a good feeling whenever I help someone else,” he said in the release.

In addition to the White Plains route, there are routes serving Bel Alton, Cobb Island, Bryantown⁄Hughesville, Bryans Road⁄Indian Head, La Plata, Nanjemoy, Waldorf and Northern Charles.

Seniors living outside of these routes may receive frozen meals that can be kept frozen and heated when needed.

Hugh and Beth Furman, drivers for the Bel Alton route, both have retired from Verizon ? Beth Furman in 1999 and Hugh Furman in 1995.

‘‘I get great joy from speaking to the people on the route,” Beth Furman said in the release. ‘‘I often leave homes giggling, and the seniors always have smiles on their faces. We bring joy to one another.”

Hugh Furman said he is glad to show his gratitude for the blessings that he has.

‘‘If you become homebound, you hope someone would do it for you,” he said in the release.

Arlene Starks, a driver for the La Plata route, lives in Dentsville. She retired from the Department of Justice in 1996 and has been driving for Meals on Wheels for about six years. She enjoys meeting the people and providing the service, according to the release.

‘‘I deliver once every other week, and this fits comfortably into my schedule,” she said in the release.

Helen McLean, program coordinator, said that drivers can deliver as often as they like, from once a month on up.

Having a balanced hot meal delivered to the door each weekday contributes to the nutritional health of the seniors and reduces some of the hazards that go along with food preparation and cooking. But the benefits don’t stop there.

‘‘The volunteer drivers provide an important daily contact for their meal recipients,” McLean said in the release. ‘‘They check on their well-being, and if the clients don’t answer the door to receive their meals, the drivers call an emergency contact and do not leave until the situation has been resolved.”

Many volunteers eventually become friends with the people on their routes and help them with errands and other chores that have become difficult for the seniors. The service is not required or expected of the drivers, but rather seems to naturally evolve from the relationship, according to the release.

The meals are packed in insulated carriers and coolers that keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold. The meals are catered by the Charles County public schools at the Robert D. Stethem Education Center and are delivered to pickup points by drivers from the school system.

Leonard Swoopes, a driver with the school system, said he enjoys being a part of the Meals on Wheels program and is glad to be of service to the community.

Mildred Barnes, program director of the Charles County Cooperative Ministry on Aging, welcomes new drivers and clients to the Meals on Wheels program. ‘‘Having more volunteers will enable us to establish more routes, serve more clients and reduce the number of days the current drivers deliver meals on some routes,” she said in the release. ‘‘We welcome new clients, and we want people to know that this service is available. Clients can sign on indefinitely, or for a limited time such as after surgery or a hospitalization.”

The Cooperative Ministry on Aging also has a telephone reassurance program. Volunteers make telephone calls or visits to homebound seniors.

To become part of the rainbow over Charles County, call Mildred Barnes at 301-392-6325.

The article was prepared by the staff of the Charles County Cooperative Ministry on Aging.