Sometimes a greeting and a plate of hot food are all a person needs to smile. Meals on Wheels is the place for that. Warm welcomes, friendly greetings, hot meals, and a reason to stay. 

     There are many volunteers heavily devoted to Meals on Wheels, and most have been involved for years. Matt Calman started working for Meals on Wheels in 2021 and is actively delivering. Meals on Wheels is an organization that hopes to bring people in need meals that they deliver Monday through Friday by 1 p.m. Clients are also able to request two meals for the weekend. Drivers must be 18 years or older, however, younger people wanting to help can ride along and help with the delivery. “It’s fun but I get to pick the radio station,” Calman said jokingly. 

     Meals on Wheels strives to provide more than just food; they check in on their clients and care about them. Drivers are always on the lookout for problems like new bruises from a fall, a safety problem, or even a broken heating system in the winter. Drivers are dedicated to being there for the people they deliver to. “When a client is having a really bad day, I can step in and make a difference,” Calman said. He has had experience connecting families to support. He delivered to a couple in their 70s named the Johnsons, who would usually meet him on the front steps every day when he came for lunch, but as it got colder, he learned that they had no heat. They had called their landlord, but he was in jail and no one would repair their furnace. They had to resort to using their electric oven as a source of heat which can be very dangerous. “So I gave them a space heater from my house and talked to my coordinator at Meals on Wheels,” Calman said. His coordinator got in touch with the right people to get emergency repairs done, and over time, they were able to do great things for the Johnsons. 

     Meals on Wheels is impactful for the community; it can be a support system for people. Many clients are getting older, but others have temporary challenges like recovering from an injury or surgery or a permanent challenge like blindness. Calman decided to join Meals on Wheels during COVID. During the pandemic, people helped his parents when he wasn’t able to and that inspired him. “I was on the lookout for a way to “payback” for all that help that neighbors and support folks had provided for my family,” Calman said. 

     Meals on Wheels also needs help. They are asking for volunteers. “Jump in. It’s easy to help out, and it’s always nice to deliver a warm meal on a cold autumn day to someone that needs a hand,” Calman said. Helping others may help another personally as well, whether it’s struggling with mental health, problems at home, or anything that may make a day feel less bright, try volunteering. “I have found time and time again that volunteering will lighten the troubles you may feel in your own day-to-day life,” Calman said. He is grateful for all of his clients and to Horizons and their donors for making it possible for him to volunteer. 

     Meals on Wheels is a way to make connections with clients. To whoever is looking for a sign to keep going: meals, smiles, and a conversation can make that happen. Choose to be positive, choose to be flexible, and choose to be the change. It starts with volunteering, and in the end, may lead to a more fulfilling life.