Monroe County’s Meals On Wheels is a non-profit organization that is mainly volunteer-driven with many sponsors and connections. Started in October of 1972, they work to provide the nutritional needs of homebound individuals and ensure that they can stay safe whilst continuing an independent lifestyle.
Executive Director, Alyssa Koeck, shared the program’s growth. During their first opening, only ten clients were served. Now, they serve an average of 325 clients a month with over 550 clients in the last year, hoping to further increase the number in the coming years.
Many share the misconception that Meals On Wheels (MOW) only provides meals exclusively to seniors. However, the truth is that anyone 18 or older who is unable to prepare their meals due to physical or mental limitations can benefit from the program. Additionally, Meals On Wheels offers a pet food program, distributes household essentials, and gives gifts on birthdays and other special occasions.
Meals come from a Northeast Pennsylvania Meals On Wheels organization up in Scranton around an hour or two away from their current location. The clients are given 14 meals a week, where they can opt for daily meals or frozen meals. However, MOW considers individual clients’ health and needs and provides separate meals accordingly, to ensure their needs are met.
Over 200 volunteers help deliver balanced meals while providing daily human connection to homebound individuals throughout Monroe County.
They arrive at the MOW building from 10:00 to 10:30 to pick up these meals and deliver them using their car, gas, and time.
“Volunteers love getting to know the clients and brightening their days – many say the best part is the conversations that they have with the clients on their route,” says executive director, Koeck.
If you want to make a difference in the lives of those in need, consider supporting Meals On Wheels today.
By volunteering for just a few hours a week, you can make a difference in someone’s life and brighten their day with a friendly conversation. However, you need to be 18 or older to volunteer and deliver meals. An application is necessary to complete and make sure to have papers and information readily available for a background check. For more information, you can check through this website, https://monroemeals.org.
If you cannot volunteer, there are many other ways to support them. You can start by hosting an event such as a pet food drive or a client needs pantry drive at https://monroemeals.org. You can also donate at https://monroemeals.org. To mail a paper check to MOW, you can send it to 901 Polk Valley Road, Stroudsburg, PA 18360.
