GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Meals on Wheels Western Michigan celebrated 40 years of service by hosting facility tours and reflecting on their efforts to feed thousands of people in need.
The open house “behind the scenes” event was held Wednesday morning at the organization’s Grandville headquarters. Guests got to see volunteers packing up meals to be delivered to seniors across West Michigan.
Lisa Wideman, president and CEO of Meals on Wheels Western Michigan, said volunteers are essential to their process. She said there are over 3,000 meals packaged for delivery every single day with the help of volunteers.
"What's really great is that we have been able to find new ways to include volunteers in the meeting of the need in this community," she said. "We really need to be a community-driven organization so that we can scale up to meet the huge demand for older adult services."
More than 6,000 seniors in Kent and Allegan counties receive meals through the program, which delivers food right to their home. Meals on Wheels staff can also help with groceries, perform safety checks and socialize with those on their delivery routes.
Wideman said about 30% of the seniors receiving meals don't see anyone else throughout the week other than their delivery driver.
"They build a relationship with their drivers. Their drivers are able to tell us if there's something wrong, and we can connect with their families. We can connect them with other resources," she said.
Delivery drivers have also been able to help seniors experiencing a medical emergency.
You can learn more about Meals on Wheels Western Michigan or sign up to volunteer here.