Meals & Wheels and the Labor of Volunteers

03. Sep, 2011 0 Comments

By Linda Wilkins,

Associate Editor

The Waco Citizen

When most of us think of Labor Day, we think of all of those people who work at a paid job. This Labor Day, however, we decided to look at it from a different angle—the angle of selfless volunteers. Many outreach organizations have the help of volunteers and most of them could not function without them.

The local section of Meals & Wheels is one of those organizations that needs the help of volunteers. These people, who give up their time and energy to help, come from churches in the area, they are students, they are your neighbors. There are 29 churches that currently send volunteers and donations to Meals & Wheels. Ask around—someone you know is sure to have helped out at some point and time.

These volunteers provide services in various different ways for Meals & Wheels. They assist in fixing the lunches to be taken to Meals & Wheels clients. They also drive the vehicles to deliver the food. In addition, Meals & Wheels runs a transportation program in which the drivers can pick up the client and take them to their destination. Some of these drivers are also volunteers. Since Meals & Wheels services Fall, Hill, and McLennan counties, they need the help of multiple volunteers to help during the day to cover such a big area. Many Senior Centers exist around these counties and volunteers help organize the functions held there. Some of these tasks could take several hours of the day, so to volunteer they have to be willing and dedicated. There is another type of volunteer that we certainly cannot overlook those people who donate not only their time, but their money to Meals & Wheels. This contribution helps the organization to buy the food and pay for other necessities.

One such volunteer describes what their job is when working with Meals & Wheels. Jesse Pafford and a friend, Mygreet Ingram, pick up 5 meals from Meals & Wheels on Mondays at 10:30 am and deliver them. They do this with the Bosqueville United Methodist Church. Pafford says that, “Our joy comes from doing for those clients who are home bound and our rewards are not always tangible.” Pafford goes on to say that, while their route is somewhat ordinary, it is still fulfilling. Pafford and Ingram are just two of many volunteers who work with their heart and, instead of monetary gain, receive joy from their work.

Volunteers are selfless. They are caring. They are willing. They are loving. They are dedicated. They are needed. What can you do to volunteer?

Meals & Wheels is located at 501 W Waco Dr, Waco, TX 76707. If you would like the opportunity to volunteer, please go to www.seniorministry.org. They also have a Facebook page, which you can get information from as well.