ROCKINGHAM — The COVID-19 pandemic hasn’t stopped the Meals on Wheels program from continuing to serve those who need food delivered to their home.

Meals on Wheels, a part of Richmond County Aging Services, is a free program that benefits persons age 60 years or older who are physically or mentally unable to obtain or prepare meals, who have no responsible person who is able and willing to prepare meals and who are homebound. Volunteers, as well as some staff members, help deliver meals to those individuals.

And there’s more to the program then just delivering food, Nutrition Director Kim Partin said.

“It’s also having that daily contact with the individual,” Partin said.

For many homebound individuals who receive assistance, Meals on Wheels volunteers might be the only people they talk to on a given day. Those interactions are meaningful for both parties, Partin said. Because of that, the program has worked to keep those encounters going while also taking extra precautions to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

One of those precautions involves a change to the food delivery method. When volunteers arrive for a delivery they’re asked to knock on the door, place the meal near the door — perhaps on a table — and wait for the recipient to acknowledge them. The volunteers and recipients can still interact with each other while avoiding unnecessary physical contact.

The Meals on Wheels program has a handful of volunteers making those deliveries, and their numbers haven’t withered despite the coronavirus pandemic. Partin said she’s impressed with the efforts of the volunteers, as well as businesses and individuals around the county who’ve donated food and supplies to Meals on Wheels.

“Richmond County has been amazing,” she said.

The items that have recently been donated to Meals on Wheels include toilet paper, bread and fresh fruit. The program is looking for donations of easy-to-prepare foods like oatmeal packs, grits and pop-top canned goods.

Partin said volunteers can be used for other tasks, such as grocery shopping for seniors. She said that is a big help for seniors who don’t have family members to shop for them. Volunteers can help seniors obtain hard-to-find items like toilet paper.

Partin reiterated that a volunteer can make a big difference in a senior’s life by simply having a conversation with them, whether it’s in person or on the phone.

“Some of us take that for granted,” she said. “They don’t.”

For information about volunteering with the Meals on Wheels program, call 910-997-4491 or fill out an application online www.richmondnc.com/282/Home-Delivered-Meals.

For information about volunteering with the Meals on Wheels program, call 910-997-4491 or fill out an application online www.richmondnc.com/282/Home-Delivered-Meals.
https://www.yourdailyjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/web1_Meals-on-wheels.jpgFor information about volunteering with the Meals on Wheels program, call 910-997-4491 or fill out an application online www.richmondnc.com/282/Home-Delivered-Meals.

By Brandon Tester

Staff Writer

Brandon Tester can be reached at [email protected] or 910-506-3170. Follow him on Twitter @BrandonTester.