TORONTO — Volunteer drivers for Circle of Care’s Kosher Meals on Wheels do much more than bring food to clients, says the program’s co-ordinator.
From left are Meals on Wheels volunteer drivers Henry Glaun, Ray Muster, Jody Spegel, David Bergart.
“Sometimes they deliver meals straight to the refrigerator and check if the food has piled up. There is also a safety protocol, so if no one answers the door or the client looks unwell, the driver has a procedure to follow,” said Inna Dantchenko.
It may be the only human contact a client has all day, she said. “It is so important for an isolated person to have a little visit. We’re not a pizza delivery service.”
With close to 1,700 meals a week going out to clients, however, they’re having trouble getting enough volunteers, she said.
Arnold Foss, director of communications for Circle of Care, said the demographics of volunteers have changed.
“In the ’80s, there were a lot of stay-at-home mothers, and people retired at age 65. These were the people who were volunteering. We don’t have that base now. They are all working. If we want to keep the program afloat, we need creative ways to volunteer.”
He said that people who cannot commit weekly can substitute for a regular driver during summer or winter vacations.
“We also encourage organizations to get involved, so they can send out two people, for example, every week. We’re very flexible. If you have any time at all, let us know.
“Recruiting volunteers is our primary need. Food is life, and for some clients, we are the main source of nutrition. Our food comprises about 40 per cent of a person’s daily nutrition. If they have eggs, cheese, milk and bread, in addition to our meals, they are basically OK,” he said.
David Bergart, a member of Temple Har Zion brotherhood, has been delivering meals for 15 years, and said that he has served a client a meal on a tray if he thinks they wouldn’t eat on their own. “I certainly don’t drop it and run,” he said.
Michael Lewis, a native of Capetown, South Africa, began delivering meals as soon as he arrived in Canada about 4-1/2 years ago. “I was interviewed and had a police check and away I went. It immediately got me involved in the community.”
Foss said that with the lack of volunteers, staff and managers have had to deliver meals. “On Fridays, especially, we have our biggest load. We send gefilte fish, challah, horseradish and a sip of wine.”
For more information or to volunteer, call 416-635-2860 or visit www.circleofcare.com.
