BERKELEY COUNTY, W.Va. — During 2019, the Berkeley County Meals on Wheels program served 47.000 meals to residents in need of hot meals and other foods.
Volunteers prepared and delivered meals Monday through Friday; preparation began at 7 a.m. each morning with volunteers packing the day’s cold meal. By 10 a.m., work on the hot meal begins.
“Our hot meals go out hot, and that’s important,” said Dianne Waldron, the program director. “We know our clients, and we know that they are relying on this meal.”
Volunteers also sent out snow kits for recipients to use in the event of snow days; the boxes contain non-perishable goods such as soup, applesauce and crackers.
“That way, when we can’t be there, we know they have a meal waiting for them,” Waldron said.
But for Waldron, the most important thing may be the social contact between the recipient and the volunteers.
“That person may be the only person they see in a day,” she said.
“We’ve saved lives. Our drivers have come up to a house (and) they know Mrs. Smith is usually at the door. If she’s not at that door, we have emergency contact information back at the office, and the driver will call that office and we’ll contact the family.”
The program mainly relies on grant funding and donations to operate.