I'm not really sure how many meals this volunteer put together while I was there, hundreds? Does everyone know of this fine organization? Let me tell you...Meals on Wheels of Charlotesville/Albemarle deliver hot, nutritious meals to the ill, aging and convalescing residents who find it hard, or impossible to fix the meals on their own.
http://www.cvillemeals.org/
From their website:
Meals are delivered at lunchtime every Monday through Friday, including all holidays that fall on weekdays. We currently have an active volunteer force of over 250 and serve meals to approximately 275 clients in the city of Charlottesville and the county of Albemarle.
As an independent, local organization, Meals on Wheels receives no state or federal funding for its operating budget. Instead, Meals on Wheels relies on contributions from individuals, businesses, and organizations in our community to support its home-delivered meals program. Some clients can pay the full cost of their meals and the Jefferson Area Board for Aging (JABA) provides subsidies for certain individuals over age 60 who meet their eligibility requirements, but the vast majority of our clients receive meals paid for through community contributions made directly to Meals on Wheels.
Meals are prepared under the supervision of a registered dietician and each client's dietary needs are met. Medically appropriate diets are available including diabetic, renal, sodium restricted, heart healthy, vegetarian and soft or pureed food.
Meals on Wheels is happy to be able to provide special services for our recipients. In the fall, we deliver our “blizzard bags” which include several days' worth of nonperishable food to use if and when hot meals cannot be delivered because of inclement weather. We celebrate most holidays with tray favors, all client birthdays with gifts & cards, and Christmas with gifts. Through a client bulletin we distribute information about free services available in the community. These extras would not be possible without the generous help we've received through the years from volunteers, local businesses and community groups.
Meals on Wheels provides a source of daily social contact for people who would otherwise be alone. It also allows for earlier release from hospitals and long term care facilities and helps keep elderly and disabled persons out of institutions altogether. It can help older married couples to remain together and gives many people the opportunity to live in their own homes for longer periods of time. Because volunteers check on meal recipients every day, people who live alone can feel safe, knowing that someone would notice if anything were to happen to them.
