2006 Events --> April 20, 2006
Volunteers honored at Dearborn luncheon

Dearborn – Nearly a thousand volunteers have been recognized for service to the popular Meals on Wheels, a program that prepares and delivers a nutritional meal to seniors in every county community outside the city of Detroit, which provides its own program.

County, commission and other officials thanked the volunteers at the April 20 luncheon in Dearborn. County Executive Robert Ficano even announced a modest increase in the daily mileage stipend volunteer drivers earn for their services. The annual volunteer recognition luncheon was held at the Ford Community Center.

Meals on Wheels since the 1970s has provided meals to homebound seniors. The program outside Detroit has been managed by Wayne County since the 1980s. It takes a small army of volunteers to deliver nearly 4,000 meals a day.

To help prepare and deliver those nutritious meals, some 1,000 men and women volunteer. Each volunteer delivers anywhere from five to 30 meals per day. Only on certain days and weekends are meals not delivered, although pre-packaged meals are available to some who qualify. The over-riding qualification is the applicant must be 60 or older, is homebound and unable to prepare a meal.

About volunteers and the Meals program, the county executive said: "I have always been amazed at the work of the volunteers and staff involved in the Meals program. One must look behind the scenes to gauge how tall an order it is to deliver a hot meal to the doorstep of a population equal to a small city."

Meals on Wheels dates to federal laws establishing community-based and some social services . The meals are prepared at a huge Hamtramck kitchen, using huge convection ovens and 80-gallon kettles. The cooks are working from a menu provided by a county dietician, with approval from partnering agencies and following federal guidelines. A typical meal may consist of meatloaf, mashed potatoes and gravy, peas and corn, sliced apples and wheat bread. The dietician’s menu extends out about one year in advance.

After meals are prepared and placed in steam trays, the food is shipped to nearly 40 nutrition sites around the county. It’s there that volunteers begin the process of parceling the food into trays for delivery.

Volunteer drivers also keep tabs on those receiving the meals. Someone doesn’t answer the door, the volunteers notify a nutrition site manager, who then calls a family contact. Public safety is summoned should the need arise.

So who are these volunteers and why are they involved? Most are older and find purpose in the mission. But many are younger, such as the Inkster ROTC cadets who stepped in to deliver when the need arose. Or, the Huron High School Honors students who participate in the program.

Many of the volunteers have decades of service: Nine were recognized April 20 for having 20 years or more on the job. Most volunteers recognize that small disabilities shouldn’t stop someone from enjoying the independence of living at home or eating a nutritious meal.

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