The Habersham County Senior Center is calling on the community for support – namely more folks willing to dedicate some of their time aiding the center’s efforts in feeding seniors in the community.
According to Teri Lewis, the Meals on Wheel program specialist, the Senior Center is currently in need of a greater number of Meals on Wheels volunteers to deliver food to homebound residents in Habersham – a number she said needs to be higher in order to reach those who rely on the program.
“The purpose is to help people stay in their homes and not have to go into nursing homes where it costs a whole lot more – for the taxpayer, even,” Lewis said. “We’re also a wellness check because a lot of people don’t have any family around, and nobody knows if they’ve fallen and nobody’s checked on them.”
The role of the Meals on Wheels program, made possible by volunteers, has far-reaching benefits to the senior population beyond the nutritional support it provides that demographic, according to Lewis.
“A lot of times [volunteers] are the only person these people see,” she said. “So it’s a bit of human contact, letting them know somebody cares about them. We’re also an information referral, so if they need heating and air assistance or if they need food assistance, we can refer them to the right folks. And it’s getting them a hot meal so that they keep their nutrition up and don’t end up in a nursing home.”
The program distributes about 4,000 meals a month and reaches around 165 clients, Lewis said, with a number of volunteers traveling about six routes and serving hot and frozen meals to the senior population.
After a volunteer is trained and finger-printed, it could take about a little more than an hour to deliver food to homes.
Meals of Wheels volunteers distribute food along their routes daily, but Lewis said that people can choose to volunteer at the hours more convenient for them.
“[Volunteers] can commit one day a month or every week or however often they want to do it,” Lewis said. “We try to work with their schedule.”
Anyone looking to volunteer with the Meals on Wheels program can contact Lewis at tlewis@habershamga.com or by calling her at the Senior Center at 706-839-0265.