CHIPPEWA COUNTY, Wis. (WEAU) – Meals on Wheels offers wholesome meals to people who could not have entry in any other case, however this system wants volunteers.
Meals on Wheels is run by the Getting older and Incapacity Useful resource Middle. By way of this system, people who find themselves 60 years previous and up, unable to organize wholesome meals on their very own and are quickly or completely homebound are given wholesome meals.
Emery Crowley has been a recipient of Meals on Wheels since 2016. He mentioned his spouse can’t prepare dinner anymore, so with this program, they’re able to have home made meals every week.
“It’s scrumptious when it comes,” Crowley mentioned. “Typically we eat it later within the day, however more often than not we eat it as quickly because it’s delivered when it’s heat.”
The Supervisor of Chippewa County’s ADRC, Leslie Fijalkiewicz, mentioned it’s a wanted program in the neighborhood.
“The quantity of people that want Meals on Wheels is simply rising throughout the county, however actually throughout the state and throughout the nation,” Fijalkiewicz mentioned. “That form of coincides with the truth that our inhabitants is getting old.”
Every weekday, someplace between 160 and 180 meals are delivered, however with further volunteers, that quantity might be extra.
“We now have some areas of the county the place our routes are at a most,” Fijalkiewicz mentioned. “We can’t put anyone else on these meals till someone else comes off as a result of we don’t essentially have sufficient volunteers to begin one other route.”
Fijalkiewicz mentioned it’s additionally exhausting to get some meals to rural communities. For this program to serve the general public, volunteer drivers are wanted. Dennis Zingen is a volunteer driver who mentioned Meals on Wheels is a vital service.
“For a few of them, it is likely to be the one meal they get all day, however then I is likely to be the one individual they see for the entire day, and that’s additionally a check-up,” Zingen mentioned.
Fijalkiewicz mentioned the winter is commonly busier as some volunteers are unable to make deliveries and extra meals are requested. If you’re taken with getting concerned with Meals on Wheels, contact your native Getting older and Incapacity Useful resource Middle.
Copyright 2023 WEAU. All rights reserved.
