These days, Meals on Wheels manager Erica Brown often steps in to drop off meals. Because of a faltering economy her New Castle County-based agency is struggling to find enough volunteer drivers to make its 700 daily deliveries. For folks with limited mobility like John Baum, the Meals on Wheels food is critical.
Five days a week volunteers stop at a distribution center and pick up hot and cold food for shut-ins. Many work for area firms which allow them to slip away for an hour or so to give back to the community.
"A half (of) our volunteers come from companies in the county," says Erica Brown of Meals on Wheels.
But with the recession, corporations here began laying off workers and/or scaling back on philithropic programs. The single biggest blow came late last year when Valero Energy shuttered its Delaware City refinery; 150 corporate volunteers disappeared. Brown is hoping for a lot more people like Judy Thorp. She is recently retired. This was her first day delivering meals.
"Well there is quite a need for those who can not get out," Thorp said.
Brown says people can volunteer for one day a week, even one day a month; the organization is flexible and needs help. To volunteer, you can visit online at http://www.mealsonwheelsde.org and click on the volunteer button.
