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Dear Volunteers,
I think that though the meal you carry to each recipient is very important to his or her health and sense of well being; equally important is the minute or two of social interaction your visit provides each day. For half of our recipients, YOU are the ONLY person they will get to visit with, to be touched by, in a day. Additionally, you serve as EYES and EARS. If you notice anything amiss or suspicious with their home, their health, their mental state, their family, and their living conditions - in other words, with anything - please tell someone at Meals On Wheels on your return. Your Coordinator and those of us who work in the office always welcome the opportunity to visit with you as well as to hear reports about Meals On Wheels' recipients. An additional means of communicating your concerns about meal clients is to complete a green card. We follow up on each card we receive from volunteers on the day the card is received.
Almost every recipient has a contact person we can call when we think that the recipient needs help beyond that which Meals On Wheels can provide. Additionally, our Client Services Coordinator and our staff are happy to network with other community social service agencies to find needed assistance.
To protect our recipients from food borne illness, please do not leave meals at homes when recipients aren't there. Leave a meal only if your route chart has a note telling you to leave it, and/or the recipient has provided, near their door, a clean cooler containing a frozen ice packet. You may take frozen ice packets, available in the Volunteer Room, with you in your thermal cold bag for use in coolers that don't have ice in them.
If there aren't route chart instructions to leave the meal, and/or a clean cooler containing a frozen ice packet or a frozen substitute such as an ice black made in a milk or orange juice carton isn't provided, please return the meal to MOW and tell your Volunteer Coordinator or an office staff member that you returned it and why.
My thanks for your continual help and support.
Jamie Loveall, Executive Director, Meals On Wheels
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