Following a phone call from an Eldred woman who cried when she learned she couldn’t be enrolled in the BRMC Meals on Wheels routes, program coordinator Jessica Jarrett-McKeirnan had to fight back her own tears.
Because of this and other needs of the program, Jarrett-McKeirnan of Bradford Regional Medical Center made an appeal Wednesday for volunteer drivers willing to travel at least a portion of the way from Eldred, as well as Smethport, to collect and deliver meals to the elderly and disabled in those areas. Another reason for the appeal is that Aug. 29 is recognized as National Meals on Wheels Day.
“There’s a great need for (Meals on Wheels) in Eldred and Smethport … and I would love to be able to help them out,” Jarrett-McKeirnan remarked. “I would just need a few people to meet me someplace (halfway between Bradford and the communities) and I’ll drop the meals off to them.”
In sharing more of the story on the Eldred woman, Jarrett-McKeirnan said the individual had just had surgery and couldn’t cook, or rely on anyone else to help her.
“I don’t like to turn anyone down, but I have to sometimes,” she said in remembering the woman’s tearful plea. “It’s more than just a meal with a lot of these people. It’s peace of mind for their families that they’re being checked on.”
She said a couple of volunteers from both communities who are willing to meet her at the top of the hills to collect the meals followed by delivering the food to individuals, would be appreciated. Jarrett-McKeirnan noted the time commitment for volunteer drivers can be as short, or long, as they desire. She said deliveries are made to approximately 45 participants on three routes each day by approximately 12 drivers. The program also provides weekend and holiday meals to participants.
“Some people get it done in an hour or an hour and a half,” she said of the drivers. “The routes are pretty easy.”
Also needed for the program are a few more volunteer drivers who could fill in occasionally for the 10 to 12 regular volunteers, said Stacy Williams, volunteer coordinator at the hospital.
“We have an absolutely exceptional group of volunteer drivers, but if they want to go away or are not feeling well, it would be nice to have a pool to draw from,” Williams explained. “It isn’t something someone would have to do every single day or every week.”
The process for drivers to apply for the program is easy and involves a simple screening process. Additional recipients are also welcome to sign up for the program and can do so through an easy application process, as well.
“We want to be able to serve more meals,” Williams explained, noting recipients have a choice between the main meal and an alternate every day. “On Sept. 1, we’ll begin the option of serving two meals, such as lunch and a dinner meal” delivered at the same time.
She said recipients are charged for meals in accordance with their income level. For example, some people may qualify for a 20 percent reduction, while others may qualify for free meals.
Previously hospitalized individuals who live alone and need help with their meals for a few weeks until they recuperate also may qualify for the program.
Williams said Meals on Wheels, which has been conducted at the medical center for the past year and a half, provides nutritious, balanced meals prepared by a cook in the hospital kitchen. Some of the Meals on Wheels kitchen staff are volunteers while others are employed through the PathStone program for older individuals.
For more information on any aspect of the program, contact Jarrett-McKeirnan at 362-8254.
