Meals on Wheels, Lewes-Rehoboth is an operation filled with optimism, gratitude and precision.
Every day, for those who may not be familiar with Meals on Wheels’ mission, more than 300 compromised people in the zip codes of 19958 and 19971 (Lewes and Rehoboth, respectively) are provided a midday meal, sometimes the only true meal of their day.
Established in 1970 by a nurse, Elizabeth Yates, who was stunned to learn of a local older couple who died of starvation. She started the idea to help out homebound seniors and disabled persons with everyone’s basic need – nutrition came to fruition. Meals on Wheels Lewes-Rehoboth Beach was the first entity in the state of Delaware, and today it remains independent of other Delaware chapters.
An estimated 400 people are served each year. Meals on Wheels (MOW) now has 18 different routes in Sussex County, serving complete meals five days a week, and provides frozen meals for their clients’ weekend. They even deliver on holidays, regardless of the day of the week it may fall.
There is a small Meals on Wheels Lewes- Rehoboth staff that oversees the operations, the volunteers, the logistics such as the route assignments, etc. However, the heartbeat of the daily duties of delivering a meal is the responsibility of volunteers who make sure it gets done with a personal touch.
A 15-member volunteer Board of Directors helps to support the small staff and drive the crucial fundraising. Through their annual appeal, their golf tournament, Jack O’Halloran bike ride and Top Chef competition, Meals on Wheels raises crucial support through its own events but is often the beneficiary of other area fundraisers.
The promise of personal contact can be the highlight of anyone’s day. It’s not just the meal, which of course is important, but there is so much more to it with Meals on Wheels. Conversation, friendships, daily help and other essential needs are often addressed.
First, the meals are made methodically by experienced chefs and volunteers in donated kitchen space at Lewes’ Fish On restaurant. Then, the meals are organized and assigned to volunteers for particular routes.
Nutritious and balanced meals are delivered to the person who is homebound. Conversations are inevitable, and many volunteers end up forming friendships that extend to helping the client with many other logistics, such as appointment transportation, light housework, repairs and more.
Volunteer opportunities abound with Meals on Wheels Lewes-Rehoboth. Mostly, the organization seeks volunteers to deliver meals on specific routes on a given day of the week. There are “permanent” drivers that commit to that schedule, but there is forever the need for substitute drivers who have the flexibility and willingness to jump in when the assigned driver has other obligations and cannot be present.
Meals on Wheels Delaware was initially funded in part through the Delaware Division of Aging in 1973 during the organization’s infancy. That department is now Delaware Aging and Disability Resource Center. The State of Delaware continues as one of the organizations major funding sources, as well as Meals on Wheels Delaware, with additional funding provided by the organization’s events and private fundraising efforts.
Meals on Wheels has expanded exponentially to include others in addition to homebound seniors. It now includes people with disabilities – a big step in recognizing the needs of other compromised individuals.
There is no substitute for the importance of meals and the companionship any meal offers to a person in need. To find out more, and to consider becoming a volunteer, you may reach Meals on Wheels Lewes-Rehoboth by phone, (302) 645-7449 or info@mealsonwheels-lr.org
Pics from the website: Meals on Wheels Lewes/Rehoboth