The group was founded in 2007 and delivered its first meal in February of 2008. At that time they had only eight clients and four routes within the county. Since then, the program has grown incredibly.
Meals on Wheels currently serves 55 clients throughout six routes that cover most of Fluvanna County. To date, they have served over 43,000 meals and over 150 clients on a long- term or short-term basis. Meals are delivered at lunchtime every Monday through Friday. It takes 14 volunteers every day to pack the meals, deliver the meals, and man the office.
“We are an all-volunteer organization without any paid staff, so it is a huge undertaking to manage the weekly delivery of meals,” said Lisa Himes, the co-founder of Fluvanna County’s Meals on Wheels program.
Volunteers are much more than just a service delivering meals to faceless strangers. They provide a friendly face to shut-ins, as well as check on clients’ safety to ensure that they are okay. Because local needs are so great, the program could really use more volunteers.
“We have enough help to have different people drive each day of the week, but not enough to go beyond that. Our substitute list is limited. We have maybe three that we call for any day of the week,” said BJ Arritt, who heads the Fork Union route.
Meals on Wheels receives no funding from the government and relies on contributions made by community members. The Jefferson Area Board for Aging in Charlottesville prepares the meals and delivers them to Effort Church in large commercial pans. Volunteers then re-heat the food and package it in individual containers to deliver to clients. They are always looking for more volunteers to pack and deliver meals. If you would like more information on how to help this local organization, visit www.mealsonwheelsfluvanna.org or call the office at 434-589-1685.
