Upcoming Events |
|
Meals on Wheels Recruiting Local Drivers to Replace Departing Seasonal Drivers During Summer Months3/22/2019 With its sizable contingent of “snowbird” volunteer drivers starting to return north for the summer, Meals on Wheels is calling upon more full time Winter Haven-area residents to take up the slack. “Every year around this time we face the loss of our seasonal volunteer drivers. However, we have never had to cut back service because local residents have always stepped forward to fill the void in the summer months. We hope and pray this will be the case again this year,” said Susan Eldridge, executive director of Meals on Wheels. Eldridge said all men and women who own a car, possess a valid driver’s license and have proof of insurance are eligible to drive routes for Meals on Wheels, adding a typical volunteer driver delivers nutritious meals to eight to 12 people per day.
“We need volunteers who can drive the same route each weekday, as well as substitutes for those who can’t drive on certain days,” Eldridge said, noting drivers report to Meals on Wheels headquarters at 620 Sixth Street in Winter Haven to pick up meals for their assigned clients around 10 am and begin delivering them by 10:30 am. On most days, drivers are done by 12 noon, she added. “Even though this is a volunteer effort, all drivers get a sense of satisfaction in knowing they are making a difference in our community by feeding needy people. This is a tremendous reward for all of our wonderful volunteers,” Eldridge said. All those who would like to volunteer their services as Meals on Wheels drivers should contact Susan Eldridge at 299-1616 or visit Meals on Wheels headquarters any weekday between the hours of 9:00 am and 4:00 pm. Meals on Wheels is a non-profit organization which provides freshly-cooked meals each weekday for homebound people residing in Winter Haven, Auburndale, Lake Alfred, Dundee, Haines City, Lake Hamilton, Davenport and parts of Lakeland. On a typical weekday, MOW volunteers deliver meals to more than 370 homes of homebound people who are mostly over the age of 65. In many cases, MOW volunteers are the only people clients get to interact with on a daily basis. In addition to drivers, Meals on Wheels welcomes volunteers to serve as cooks, thrift store clerks, fundraisers and board members. For more information about MOW, including volunteer opportunities, visit the Web site at www.mealsonwheelspolk.com. Because it receives no government funding, Meals on Wheels of Polk County depends on fundraising initiatives, thrift store sales and donations from individuals, corporate sponsors, churches and non-profit charitable organizations to carry on its mission of feeding and interacting with homebound citizens of all ages and backgrounds.
0 Comments
Your comment will be posted after it is approved.
Leave a Reply. |
Upcoming Events |
|
|
Copyright © 2019 Greater Winter Haven Chamber of Commerce. All rights reserved.
401 Avenue B, NW, Winter Haven, FL, 33881 Phone: (863) 293-2138 [email protected] |
|
|